How good are you at controlling your self-control? Do you have the willpower to say no to something or to stop yourself before you say something you know you shouldn’t? The good news is, God provides self-control and can help us when we fall short.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Cookie? Brownie? Chips? Candy? Can you say no to your favourite treat? It’s okay if you can’t, we all have foods we enjoy eating. Whether it’s a favourite dessert or snack, sometimes we just can’t help but overindulge. We see something delicious and our self-control disappears.

Everyone struggles with self-control in some way. We have things we know we should or shouldn’t do and it’s a constant struggle. Gossip, gluttony, laziness…just a few areas we may need to brush up on.

Check out the full devotional to help you cultivate the fruits of the spirit. “A Mother’s Fruit Basket” was written specifically for moms and this Ebook comes with printable planning pages to help keep you organized and focused on a fruit each week.

It’s no different in motherhood. In fact, self-control is maybe more important when we have little eyes watching us all day.

Kids notice everything. There isn’t much that they don’t see or hear.

They hear the way we talk about our bodies. They see us sitting on our phones. They hear how we talk about family or friends. They see how we interact with our spouses.

No pressure right?

Controlling Your Self-Control

Don’t worry. While it’s called self-control, God is the one who provides the strength we need. But it means paying attention to ourselves and how we behave. Looking for areas where we need to exert control.

It means asking God to show us the areas where we need to watch what we say or do. This can be hard, no one wants their weaknesses discovered! But it is an important step in controlling our self-control. Once we know where we are likely to struggle, then we need to ask for his help in overcoming the temptation.

When we ask God for the strength to overcome our weaknesses it’s amazing what it can do. The more we say “no” to things we shouldn’t do and “yes” to the things we should, the stronger we become.

And it makes our lives better. We know that making good choices, whether in food or activities makes for a healthier lifestyle. It also grows our relationship with God.

And don’t think you can’t do it. It may not be easy but it’s made clear in 2 Timothy that we are more than capable of having self-control!

So ask God to search out these things and give you strength to have self-control. You can set an example for your kids, family, friends or coworkers. Let them see you draw strength from God’s fruit basket and live a strong and healthy Christian life!