TEMPERANCE MATTERS (Part 2) Growing in Self Control

TEMPERANCE MATTERS (Part 2) Growing in Self Control 

2 Peter 1:3-7 NLT

3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have

received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his

marvelous glory and excellence. 

4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These

are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption

caused by human desires.

5  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with

a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 

6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient

endurance with godliness,

7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

Hierarchy of Christian Maturity

Moral Excellence

Knowledge

Self-Control (Temperance)

Patient Endurance

Godliness

Brotherly Affection

Love for all

I. FACTS ABOUT SELF CONTROL

1. Self-Control drastically improves your life

 People who exercise self-control are happier and healthier.

 Their relationships are more satisfying and last longer.

 They make more money and go further in their careers.

 They are better able to manage stress, deal with conflict, and overcome

adversity. They live longer.

 Self-control is a better predictor of academic success than intelligence, a

stronger determinant of effective leadership than charisma and more

important for marital bliss than empathy.

2. Self-Control is like a muscle that gets stronger as you use it

Romans 6:16

16  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are

that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of

obedience leading to righteousness?

3. Self-Control is fighting against internal desires

We are used to seeing temptation and trouble outside of ourselves: the

dangerous doughnut, the sinful cigarette, the enticing Internet. But self-control

points the mirror back at ourselves, and our inner worlds of thoughts, desires,

emotions, and impulses.

James 1:14

14  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and

enticed. 

15  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-

grown, brings forth death.

II. HOW TEMPTATION WORKS IN THE BRAIN

1. The Promise of Reward

a. Dopamine Rush – Doesn’t create happiness itself, more like arousal (alert,

captivated)

b. Recognize the possibility of feeling good but doesn’t bring satisfaction

Ecclesiastes 1:8

All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with

seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Ecclesiastes 1:14

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity

and grasping for the wind.

John 4:13-14

13  Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 

14  but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the

water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up

into everlasting life.”

 Your brain launches a neurotransmitter called dopamine from the middle of

your brain into areas of the brain that control your attention, motivation, and

action.

 Threat is not outside it is only inside. You need to use will power to arrest

the internal impulses. Threat is inside.

III. TIPS TO GREATER SELF CONTROL

1. Know Yourself

Psalm 4:4 (KJV)

Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be

still. Selah

Psalm 77:6

I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart,

and my spirit makes diligent search.

Without self-awareness, our self-control system would be useless. We need to

recognize when we are making a choice that requires willpower; otherwise, the

brain always defaults to what is easiest.

2. Set firm, clear long-term commitment goals

Joshua 24:15

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom

you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the

other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But

as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD

2 CORINTHIANS 1:17-20

17  Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I

plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? 

18  But as God is faithful, our  [a] word to you was not Yes and No. 

19  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by

me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 

20  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God

through us.

3. Recognize Triggers

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring

lion, seeking whom he may devour.

.

 Stress - Science also points us to a critical insight: Stress is the enemy of

willpower

 Distraction

4. Do not gloat too much over victories

1 Corinthians 10:12

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

When you do something good, you feel good about yourself. This means you are

more likely to trust your impulses—which often means giving yourself

permission to do something bad. Most people do not question their impulses

when they are feeling virtuous.

Anything that makes us feel warm and fuzzy about our virtue—even just thinking

about doing something good—can license us to follow our impulses. This is

called Moral Licensing.

When you feel like a saint, the idea of self-indulgence does not feel wrong. It

feels right, like you earned it. And if the only thing motivating your self-control is

the desire to be a good enough person, you are going to give in whenever you

are already feeling good about yourself.

5. Pause and Plan

Proverbs 24:6

For by wise counsel, you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of

counselors there is safety

6. Do not Borrow from Tomorrow

When thinking about our future choices, we wrongly but persistently expect to

make different decisions tomorrow than we do today.

We somehow think it will be easier tomorrow. That is why we defer till

tomorrow and cheat today.

HOW - View every choice you make as a commitment to all future choices. So

instead of asking, “Do I want to eat this candy bar now?” ask yourself, “Do I want

the consequences of eating a candy bar every afternoon for the next year?” Or if

you have been putting something off that you know you should do, instead of

asking “Would I rather do this today or tomorrow?” ask yourself, “Do I really

want the consequences of always putting this off?”