I promise I learn stuff... :)

Hey all :)

So the other day I was coming home for the weekend and driving home with my parents and I was just talking about all the things I'm learning and the different assignments we're doing and my mom said I should post some of this stuff up here so you all know that while we're not touring we're not just having sweet awesome times in a big house full of thirteen crazy girls! (But we do that, too). So last week, after getting back from Kansas, we had some "design your own days" and for four hours every morning last week our team went to the Winnipeg Centennial Library downtown to work on assignments for our upcoming discipleship days! (Which start today, I'm on break at the office.)

So one of our assignments was that we're supposed to choose a fruit of the Spirit (found listed in Galatians) and research it and how it benefits our life... :)

This was a really fun assignment for me, actually because I never really thought about the fruits beyond "love, joy, peace" (because that's usually where my memory would stop and regardless I'd become overwhelmed with all these wonderful things I'm supposed to execute everyday in my life as a Christian.)

So I chose to research self-control... and below.. is what I learned! (And will be presenting sometime this week to the rest of the team... :))

Fruit of the Spirit Research – Self-control

(a) What is SELF-CONTROL?
Definition – control or restraint of oneself or one’s actions, feelings, etc.
Synonyms – self discipline, self restraint, willpower, level headedness

(b) What does the Bible say about SELF-CONTROL?
Proverbs 25:28 “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

2 Timothy 3:2-4 “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”
2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart”

Titus 2:2 & 12 “…be temperate, worth of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance…. It teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”

(c) How can SELF CONTROL benefit our lives?
As mentioned through the verses God has called us to a higher standard of living. Colossians 3:5 and 8 says “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry… But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.”
As humans we have a sinful nature that fights against our desire to obey God’s commands. Romans 7:21-23 Paul says “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”
Practicing and cultivating self control in our lives is the only thing that is going to help us win the battle against our sinful nature… in James 4:7 we’re promised “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”… And glorify God through our actions and the way we live our lives.

(d) A biblical illustration of SELF CONTROL…
A direct illustration of self-control is when in Matthew 4:1-11 when Jesus resists the devil’s temptations. Something really interesting is that he practiced self-control – by fasting forty days and forty nights – before resisting the devil. This illustration shows how by practicing self-control in smaller aspects of our lives it will begin to cultivate and grow that we may be self-controlled in larger aspects as well.

(e) A personal illustration of SELF CONTROL…
When we got this assignment in January I decided on self-control because in honesty, I feel like it’s a huge necessity that I lack and want to cultivate more in my own life. So in order to build up my self-control I’ve created little “challenges” for myself this second semester – two of which are 1) being self-controlled in how I spend my money on tour as it isn’t really my money to spend. I've decided to be on a CD/DVD fast till BUgirl ends (because those aren’t a necessity and really I spent too much on them the first tour)… It’s super hard and I already have started a list of all the CDs I intend to buy after tour but… it’s the little things that help us practice! 2) To not eat pizza or chocolate fountain at events – because it’s unhealthy and – as far as pizza goes – a little disrespectful to the people that prepare us an alternative supper. Not going to lie; I did have pizza and chocolate fountain at our event of five girls – because I thought, small group – lets just all chill together – and I ended up getting the flu that night and now the idea of chocolate fountain just makes me sick. So… LESSON LEARNED! And 3) For lent (which began just a few days ago) I'm giving up adding butter and salt to anything - toast, potatos, fries, pasta, etc. etc... my two favorite flavors!! Obviously all these things I am choosing to practice self-control in are not life or death situations, they're not even sins! But that's the point - to cultivate self-control in order to fight off the devil we need to be practicing it in smaller areas of our lives..!

(f) A challenge to all, in regards to SELF CONTROL…
My challenge in regards to self-control comes in three parts…

1) Choose something small – such as chocolate fountain – to “abstain” from in order to practice self-control like Jesus did with fasting… Include lots of prayer as you practice self-control in your chosen aspect – that God would reward your aspirations and fill you with His Spirit in order to strengthen you. This practice will help you build up your ability for self-control that will benefit you in larger aspects.
2) Many things affect our ability to exert self-control, but I learnt it particularly requires sufficient glucose levels in the brain. Exerting self-control depletes glucose. (Glucose is a type of sugar that is found in many fruits, animal tissues and fluids etc. and has a sweetness of about half that of ordinary sugar.) Research found that reduced glucose is tied to lower performances in tests of self-control particularly in difficult or new situations. Therefore… eat foods containing glucose to physically improve your ability to exercise self-control!
3) Finally, self-control is directly related to the pressure you face… Good pressure is when you are in a competitive yet non-judgmental and non-prejudicial environment, you want to be like those around you. You become motivated and inspired and gain self-control. Bad pressure is when you are in a judgmental and prejudicial environment and there is no competition you become depressed and unmotivated. You lose self-control. No pressure is when you are free and there is no competition, you do what you feel. Your self-control is based on how you feel and since there is no one to compare yourself to, you may be less motivated or more motivated depending on your urgency of whatever you are doing. So the challenge there is to look at your life and the people you surround yourself – also looking beyond BUgirl – and look at what kind of pressures you face and surround yourself with people that are going to motivate and inspire you; as opposed to environments where you may lose self-control.


This is just one of the assignments and one thing I'm learning here at BUgirl... everyday - on tour, in the office, through classes, through life experience... God's teaching me so much...! :) So THANK YOU for your continued support through prayer, this year is such a life changing experience for me..! :)