Adding Self-control

DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER OF PETER

ADDING SELF-CONTROL

2 Peter 1:5-9

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

NIV

Having learned we need to make every effort to add to our faith goodness and to this goodness, or virtue, a high moral standard, knowledge, now we see we need to add to the knowledge, self-control. This is one of those gifts of the Spirit as well. But what does it mean to be in control of oneself? Some translations use the word temperance, as well as the Greek word could suggest. In this case, self-control suggests that we are moderate in our actions, thoughts, or feelings, which would imply we would not be given to anger, rage, yelling, or screaming. This temperance or self-control could also be applied to restraint or habitual moderation in the indulgence of appetites or passions. It can also be used as moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages. As we observe the community of faith, it would seem the latter definition is the most common. This could imply as long as we are either moderate in our use or absolutely abstaining from the use of alcoholic beverages, we can lose our temper or overeat and still qualify as being or having self-control. That seems way too bizarre to be the truth. It would seem it would be far better to have control over our passions, our emotions, or feelings, then just considering moderation in drinking or total abstinence is the meaning of self-control. To be in control of our self, to not allow someone else to take charge of our emotions. We remember a short movie of a grandfather teaching his granddaughter how to drive. As they approached an intersection another driver almost cut them off and the young girl got all upset and started to yell at the other car. Her grandfather simply asked her way she yielded her emotions, her self-control, to a stranger. That is the real sense of this self-control. To be in charge of our own emotions, our own feelings, our own thoughts, and behavior. This means we are not reactive but rather active in our thoughts, emotions, and actions. We are to be in charge of ourselves, our self. Of course, that also does mean we should not yield ourselves to the influence of the devil, or of any evil thoughts or actions as well as not be drunk with wine, but rather with the Spirit. It does not preclude drinking wine, just not giving ourselves over to drunkenness, which is giving ourselves over to the influence of too much, thus being drunk, or out of control of self. Moderation or temperance seems to be the key here, or not be one of the extremes in our thoughts, emotions, or actions, not yielding our self to others, except of course, the Spirit. So we add to our faith goodness and the knowledge of our divine nature and now the control of our self.