If you live without restraint and are unable to control your temper, you’re as helpless as a city with broken-down defenses, open to attack. Proverbs 25:28 (The Passion Bible)
Restraint doesn’t sound like a fruit of the Spirit, does it? It’s not one we like to talk about very often. And yet, self-control is one of the clear indicators of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. When we can practice restraint, demonstrating strength of spirit to choose what we may not have on our own, it reveals the lordship of Christ within us.
There are many times I have been filled with anger. It is not wrong to experience this; Jesus himself was overcome with anger. It is what we do with that anger that determines the outcome. I have been known to pitch a “Hissy Fit”, common in South GA. However, it does not reap the fruit I want in my life. Though our tempers may flare, if we have restraint, then we can find ways to release anger in healthy ways. Even if anger is not an issue that we deal with, we all have areas where restraint should be used. Let’s check ourselves out and see where we need the help of the Holy Spirit’s strength to empower us to practice self-control. He is our ever-present help.
