Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit that popped into my head every time I walked by the churro stand. As inviting and delicious as they looked, they were nothing but bad news. Being vegan and having a gluten sensitivity is not compatible with a churro. So, I ignored it the first day, the second, and the third; you catch my drift.
It was tough at first, but as the days and the weeks passed by, eventually, one day, the churro stand disappeared. I didn’t even notice precisely when.
The experiment
The Stanford Marshmallow experiment was an experiment on delayed gratification. It also shed light on self-control as a behavior. The experiment consisted of leaving children alone with candy with the promise that if they waited to eat it after the adult returned, they would receive a double portion. Some kids managed to exercise self-control, while others succumbed to temptation—the exercise of self-control of those young kids correlated with their success as adults.
We all have a churro.
Remember the churros? Spiritually speaking, we all deal with a churro or more every day. For Jesus in the desert, it was converting the stones to bread; for Joseph, it was Potiphar’s wife; and for you, it might be going to bed late because of mindless scrolling through your phone or simply letting your temper get the best of you. Tomorrow, it might be something else.
Self-control is a direct result of free will; because of that, it is one of my favorite fruits of the Spirit. It reminds me of my freedom, and looking at it from a Biblical perspective, it also reminds me that every churro that I face is not my battle to fight alone.
Choosing wisely from the start
The story in Daniel 1 is an excellent example of self-control. Captive in a foreign land, ripped away from their families and parents’ guidance, Daniel and his friends chose to remain loyal to God from day one. You might think, but what did food have to do with anything? Didn’t they have fruits and veggies at the king’s table that they could eat? I am sure they did, but that was not the point. Since the king’s food had been dedicated to false idols, it wasn’t clean anymore. Compromising at that moment would weaken their will and set a precedent.
Do you think the book of Daniel would have been the same if he and his friends had bent their principles and eaten from the king’s table in chapter one? Honestly, I don’t think so.
When it comes to self-control, remember this:
- It starts with the little things.
- It’s your choice.
- The more you practice it, the more it becomes part of your nature.
- You will reap satisfaction every time you practice it.
- You’re not on your own.