Self-Controlled

This week, Ed Pavelec, one of Riverwood's elders, shares about an Attribute of Jesus he appreciates - self-control. Ed is married to Riverwood's Kids Creek director, father of 5, a recruiter for the Iowa National Guard, and a self-identified apologetics nerd.

You know it when you see it: Self-Control.

I typically see it in situations where people are worked up, under stress, and frustrated.  A place and state of mind where the world would come out and say that some type of outburst or reaction is “totally justified.” Something like “I wouldn’t blame her if she did,” or “He’s within his rights to act that way... who wouldn’t!?!” The scenarios are myriad. We can all think of at least one such blowup we have seen or even participated in. And it is in those types of moments when the witness of self-control is held in such contrast to all we might think is justifiable and logical by the world's standards.

In our sacred Scripture, God gives us examples of how His self-control is on display in Christ’s walk here on earth. We see Jesus pressed (just as we are all pressed, stressed, and worked up), yet He remains controlled.

• When Jesus is tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), He'd been fasting for forty days, leaving Him vulnerable. Satan tempts Him with bread, power, and glory. Each time, Jesus responds with Scripture, focused on His mission.
• When Jesus sighs, "How long am I to bear with these people?" (Matthew 17:17), we see Him upset with the disciples' lack of faith, yet He doesn't lash out. Rather, He heals and teaches anyway.
• When Peter pulls out a sword to confront the coming soldiers approaching Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ says He could call twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53-54)! That’s power held back. He's facing betrayal and death but chooses to surrender to fulfill His purpose.

In each of these occasions, we read that Christ is controlled to the utmost, and with great purpose.  He is acting in love—healing, teaching, casting out, and rebuking—all with self-control.

Each time Our Lord demonstrates self-control, it ought to be a call upward for ourselves. To understand each of the attributes we have all been reading these past weeks is to see who He IS and how we can BE. Unlike the worldly understanding given in example at the beginning of my post, we can look to our loving Father in the perfect example of Jesus Christ and see how a Christian ought to respond. Filled with the Spirit of God on High, we bear the fruit the vine allows us to bear, which is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the last but not least of the list is self-control.

It is no wonder then that Matthew 5:5 states that the meek shall inherit the earth. This post would not be concluded well without an action step for you to take. So to keep it fun, copy this—define biblical meekness—into your Google machine and give it a read; then copy this—define meek—and do the same. You will find how God sees self-control, and how the world mis-defines it. Thankfully, we are on the side of the Lord, and His definitions are all we need care for.

God bless you as you go, dear loved ones.