Thursday, December 19 ~ The fruitage of the spirit is . . . self-control.​—Gal. 5:22, 23.

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, December 19

The fruitage of the spirit is . . . self-control.—Gal. 5:22, 23.

 

Why should you be interested in cultivating self-control? Consider two important reasons. First, it has been observed that people who are able to control their impulses generally have fewer major problems. They are more stable emotionally, they are better at forming wholesome relationships, and they are not as angry and prone to anxiety and depression as are impulsive people. Second, the ability to resist temptation and to control inappropriate impulses is fundamental to retaining God’s favor. The failure of Adam and Eve illustrates this truth. (Gen. 3:6) And think of the sad results reaped by others who since then have failed to exercise this important quality. No imperfect human can exercise perfect self-control. Jehovah is aware of his servants’ struggles in this regard, and he wants to help them dominate their sinful tendencies.—1 Ki. 8:46-50. w17.09 3-4 ¶3-4

[Norbro]

"The ability to resist temptation and to control inappropriate impulses is fundamental to retaining God’s favor"

 

I thought of my kids when I read this. Two are diagnosed with ADHD and one is on the autism spectrum. All three are notoriously poor at impulse control, be it raging meltdowns or decisions made without considering the consequences. For any brother or sister with such a condition, while a diagnosis should not excuse an attitude of indifference, it is important to remember that we can only do our best to imitate Jehovah and his Son. He reads hearts and knows if we are working hard to please him. A lack of ability to control impulses does not necessarily stem from indifference or an otherwise bad attitude. How fortunate we are that our God understands each one of us!