Self control is one of the fruits of the spirit that we read about in Galatians 5:22. It is in some ways the one that is quite different than the others, but the one that can allow for the others to either be manifested or not. Why I think it is there is that it is the one that is really about being human and if we don't have self-control we can end up messing up lots of good things. A few months ago the New York Times called out the CEO of Yahoo! for her continued use of expletives and then used their failing stock price and underlying business fundamentals as a way of saying, keep the four letter words in your mouth, because even if we did want to tolerate them, you don't have the business results to get us to turn a deaf ear. Our language is a central area for our self-control to either show itself or be hidden. It's a sure fire way yes, to let everyone know where you stand. One F-bomb in a meeting and if there was any doubt as to what we believe our actions have just settled the score. There are plenty of other ways to outburst that can cause the same reaction, but what comes from our mouth is clear and to the point. Good and bad. If today you are struggling with the language that you use, then fall back onto Galatians and go big with your prayers by asking God to give you the fruit of His spirit and especially self-control. From there, it will be up to you for that fruit to ripen to its fullest or for you to let it go spoiled. A little self control can go a long way.
Reference: Galatians 5:22 (New Living Testament)
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