Who Can Resist?

Rosanna bought Trader Joe’s new chocolate peppermint Christmas bars yesterday.

She has way more self-control than me: they’ve sat wrapped in their container for the last 30 hours (who’s counting) without anyone opening them. A few moments ago, I finally broke and began eating one. When I am done writing this, I may go finish the whole bar.

Why is self-control the most difficult to come by of the fruit of the Spirit? Why does it also cause more guilt when it is absent than the others?  We try to attain it through self-restraint or shame, but it never really lasts.  We all have a chocolate bar of some kind that tempts us.

Instead of beating yourself up, try reminding yourself of God’s goodness to you.

Christianity is unique because it exalts us and humbles us at the same time. It makes us feel incredibly valued and incredibly undeserving. Both of these are true. However, we didn’t earn God’s favor by being well-behaved, we received it through grace. We aren’t even well-behaved enough to resist a chocolate bar for two days.  In the same way, self-control, much like salvation, doesn’t come through shame it comes through grace.

When we think about God’s kindness and goodness to us, we can’t help but fall deeper into His presence, and now, we have fallen in love with a God far greater than us.

You now view a lack of self-control not as something to be ashamed of, but something that keeps you in a compulsive relationship with something other than God, which ultimately robs you of your greatest joy. Christianity is also unique because it doesn’t tell you to stop desiring, it tells you to desire something far greater than you can imagine. We gain self-control when we want God more than anything else.

Let’s pursue Him today. He’s our reward.  

Pastor Jared

‍