THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

TEMPERANCE OR SELF CONTROL

The word temperance means restraint or moderation, especially in yielding to one’s appetites or desires. These desires themselves are unique and are different for different people. Some people may require restraint when it comes to alcohol while for others it may be gambling or smoking. Everybody has some weakness.

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a person who lacks self-control.”
— Proverbs 25:28
A person without self-control is an accident waiting for a place to happen as a well known writer once said.

The Holy Spirit brings temperance as a fruit into your life. It is the ability to master your desires and lusts and the ability to say no. You are no longer swayed by passions of your body like sex, food, alcohol, smoking, gambling etc. Things you once considered weaknesses will slowly fade away and you will surprise yourself with the way you can restrain yourself. Over time you begin to have a great degree of self control.

Things which you think are impossible to stop like the occasional lie or a swear word in a difficult situation will be brought under control as this fruit grows in your life.

Real Life Inspiration

There was once a young man who was out of college. This man was a chain smoker, it started out with one or two cigarettes a day but it reached 15 – 20 very quickly. He picked up the habit of smoking marijuana in his college days. Initially he liked the high it gave him. It gave him a false sense of peace and calm, it altered the way his mind functioned. He simply loved it. Over time without realizing, he was becoming dependent on it, soon he could not sleep without smoking a spliff. His relationship with his family deteriorated and his friends circle was decided by who else shared this habit. He became a compulsive liar and an expert manipulator.

He also had other destructive habits which he could not break free of, he used to enjoy watching pornography and masturbation was a habit he cherished in secret. He was a smart man and could put on the mask of being happy and successful. The life this man led may look normal to most people, what looked like a “cool” and “happening” life on the outside actually made his soul rotten and he was spiritually dead on the inside.

God showed this man mercy and taught him that to live victoriously he must treat his body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit. He had to honor and respect it. He absolutely needed to stop smoking, drinking and anything that harms the body. God also revealed his hatred for lies to the young man. God showed the man a lot of areas in his life that needed work, he used other people, books, videos on YouTube, and even a movie to speak to this young man. Soon the young man realized that he was wrong and saw the need to change. The only problem was he had very little self control.

That’s when God challenged this man, if this man really wanted to break free from his habits and be saved all he needs to do is sincerely ask God. God himself would give him the self control that was missing. The young man decided to take God’s help.

God poured out his Spirit on the young man. He soon stopped smoking and strangely he could resist the urges and the withdrawal symptoms that smokers feel. He himself could not believe that a 8 year old habit was broken in a day. He stopped watching porn, he stopped masturbating and even the way he spoke changed completely. His own parents could not believe the difference they saw in their son. Its been a long time since and he has not fallen back into his old and destructive habits.

Once he dedicated his life to Jesus, nobody who knew him earlier could believe its the same person now. The fruit of temperance was there for all to see.