Self-Restraint

Walter Edgar, a University of South Carolina professor, has written what some consider the definitive history of the state of south Carolina. In his work, entitled South Carolina, A History, Edgar traces early influences on the development of the culture of colonial South Carolina to the island of Barbados. He writes that in the mid-1600s, “the Caribbean became a no-man’s land… Restraints of any sort, whether governmental or social, seemed to disappear. The pursuit of wealth and the pleasures it could purchase was the order of the day” (p.37). Barbadian planters relied on the cheap labor of indentured servants to make their money. Later, the cost of indentured servants – small as it was - became too much for the “wealthy elite” who took control of the island. Instead of “barbadosing” (the 1600s equivalent of being shanghaied) the unsuspecting, they resorted to importing slaves from Africa. Edgar writes that “the society that emerged in the latter half of the seventeenth century was ‘…highly materialistic’ [and] hedonistic. Material success, not character or honor, was the measure of an individual’s worth” (p.37). It seems that those individuals who left England to pursue their fortune felt free of any of the restraints that the society they came from imposed upon them.

Their attitude and behavior is too similar to the actions of the wealthy elite seeking control in the world we live in today. The new Nimrods seeking to erect a modern Tower of Babel to control the world under one economic system have also thrown off all restraint. However, the elites are not by themselves in exhibiting a lack of restraint and self-control. Everywhere you look, you see evidence of a society out of control. In the world we live in, those who have “gone wild” are glorified. It is supposedly good to be “out of control.” The prophet Hosea wrote these words about the children of Israel in the latter days.

Hosea 4:1-2
Hear the word of the LORD,
You children of Israel,
For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
"There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.

The people of the seventeenth century were no different than those on earth today. When man has had an opportunity, he “casts off all restraint” (Proverbs 29:18) and does what is pleasing in his own eyes. Paul wrote the following description of the state of mankind in the end time.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Solomon wrote that “Where there is no revelation [margin: prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18). When individuals and societies lose touch with foundational values, they throw off any behavioral controls. When they reject revelation from the real God, nothing is off limits.

The problems we see today are not new. Throughout history, humans have had a problem with self-control and self-restraint. Even pagan philosophers and others immersed in false beliefs have recognized the value of the character trait of temperance or self-control.

"He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior." - Confucius

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self." - Aristotle

"A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well." - Louisa May Alcott

In a recent commentary, columnist Thomas Sowell says the “loss of our traditional rules, [and] restraints has hurt society” (p. 3B, The Greenville News, June 6, 2007).

Ruling the self, controlling the self, restraining the self is recognized by thinkers and theologians as a difficult, yet worthy and necessary task. The Bible gives God’s clear expectation on the subject.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Self-control or temperance (KJV) is a fruit of God’s Spirit. It is an expression of God’s very nature. It is a fruit we are to be known by as we mature into “the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). But we see little self-restraint or self-control in the world around us. The manager of the Mississippi Braves, Phillip Wellman, had his self-control shown to the whole world this past week. His temper tantrum befitting a two-year old is available for anyone to see on the Internet – if you missed it on the sports news. And Paris Hilton, the body without a brain, and all her pop tart associates, are definitely not known for temperance, self-restraint and self-control.

Paul gave Titus valuable instruction for those who seek a different Kingdom than what is in the world today.

Titus 2:1-2
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;

Older men are encouraged to be “safe (sound) in mind, … self-controlled [in] opinion or passion” (NT: 4998, Strong’s Concordance).

Paul wrote the Corinthians that “… everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25). According to Strong’s Concordance, the word temperate indicates we need “to exercise self-restraint (in diet and chastity)” (NT: 1467, Strong’s Concordance).

Paul also wrote Timothy that bishops and deacons’ wives (deaconesses) must be temperate or able to temper their human nature. They must be able to show self-restraint in their behavior and in what they say (temperance, American Heritage Dictionary).

1 Timothy 3:2,11
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate,… 11 Likewise, their [deacons’] wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

Self-restraint and self-control indicate that you are able to restrain your emotions, your desires, and your actions. Whatever pops in your head should not always pop out of your mouth. What you think, you should not always do. What you feel is not always to be expressed or acted on.

Peter encouraged us to abound in self-control in 2 Peter 1:6.

2 Peter 1:5-9
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

But like all of the fruits of the spirit, we do not instantly acquire the ability to control our words, our thoughts, our actions and emotions. We learn self-control over time; we learn through being trained and from the things we suffer. In Romans 7, Paul wrote of the constant struggle that he faced to maintain control over the desires and passions of the flesh.

Romans 7:18-25
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The world today is filled with individuals and governments that have no self-control or self-restraint. The good news is that the Kingdom of God is coming. Everyone born into that Kingdom will have the character trait of self-control and self-restraint as a part of his nature. Then, there will be no temper tantrums, no crying jags, no fit pitching. No smart mouths. No road rage. No drug or alcohol addiction. No rich getting richer on the backs of the poor and oppressed. No pornography; no rap music talking about women as ho’s; and no women who are ho’s. Instead, the culture of the whole world will be based on love and concern for others, not love of the self. Today, the world needs self-control and self-restraint. We, who are the firstfruits of God, are called to develop that trait now so we can demonstrate it to those around us and in the world to come. In word and in deed, let’s show temperance, self-restraint and self-control.