“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

When you gave your life to Christ, you opened the door to a floodgate of amazing gifts as a child of the King. You’re an heir to eternity with Him. You gained a whole family of His other children. Most importantly, His Spirit moved into your life to bring you God’s presence 24/7. With that you receive what Scripture refers to as the fruit of the Spirit. What an amazing list! One is no more valuable than another, but the order tells us that we are designed to move from the inward toward the outward, beginning with self-control. When I first gave my life to Christ, the first thing God’s Spirit did that was visible in my life was remove cussing from my vocabulary. As a foul-mouthed 15-year-old in Miami Florida, it was a dramatic shift. Truly, from that moment, there was no interest, desire, or even thought of a cuss word sprinkling my conversation—even in anger. Self-control is only possible and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We can change some things ourselves for a season, but it will seldom last a lifetime. I believe one of the reasons addiction groups emphasize the need for a higher power is the realization that no one truly changes themselves without the presence of God Himself. It’s also, I believe, one of the reasons so many rehab programs fail. When there is no empowering by God’s Holy Spirit, our self-control can only carry us so far before the pressures of life and the temptations of the flesh pull us back. Today, let the fruit of the Spirit loose in your story. #BeTheEdge

“gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬