Self-Control vs. God-Control

Last year, I started choosing a word for the year. This word became a focus of mine to help me center my life around what was important. Last year, my word was stewardship. I dug for scripture, read books, and made a plan to chase stewardship throughout the year. I haven’t mastered it yet. I still have a long way to go before I fully steward my time, gifts, and resources well. But I’m closer than I was.

Before we stepped into 2022, I started reflecting on what my word would be this year. I asked myself some questions to get me to the right word. What do I struggle with most? What’s keeping me from walking in alignment with God’s will? What do I need to learn more about? These questions led me to a virtue I constantly fail at: self-control. Self-control to fold and put away the laundry, self-control not to eat that cupcake with the high-piled icing, self-control to follow through with plans to achieve goals, self-control to get up early to exercise, self-control to clean the house when I’d rather be reading… the list goes on and on and on. What I found on my journey to dig in God’s word to learn more about self-control caught me by surprise. I’m so excited to share this revelation with you. It’s HUGE!

It’s Not There

I started my research on self-control with the Bible Search Tool website. I wanted to find all the verses I could on self-control. I use this website often when I’m looking for particular words or phrases. I type in the word and then it pulls up how many times the word appears. It also lists all the verses in which the word can be found. So I typed in self-control and readied myself to start reading through and dissecting all the verses. I clicked on the search button only to be stunned by the results: “ ‘self-control’ occurs 0 times in 0 verses in the KJV.” Say what?!?!?! How can this be? My word isn’t even in The Bible? Although I was disappointed, I was much more curious and perplexed.

Below the announcement of my failed search, it listed other translations that actually do include the word self-control. So I started there. The word is listed seven times in the NIV translation. In the NIV version, scripture uses the word self-control to explain that it’s better to have self-control than to capture a city (Proverbs 16:32). It’s used to warn not to be caught in Satan’s temptation due to lack of self-control (1 Corinthians 7:5). Self-control is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul describes the people during the terrible times of the last days as lacking self-control. And in 2 Peter 1:3-7 it says “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

So I did end up finding guidance in the scriptures on self-control, but I was still hung up on the fact that I couldn’t find it in the King James Version- the oldest version of the Bible we use- a version that is translated word-for-word from the original version. I found that the King James Version came to be in the year 1611. I wondered what words were used in the KJV instead of self-control. In comparing verses from different versions, I found the KJV uses the word temperance instead of self-control. Webster’s Dictionary defines temperance as Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions. KJV uses the word incontinence instead of “lack of self-control.” Incontinence is defined as “Want of restraint of the passions or appetites; free or uncontrolled indulgence of the passions or appetites, as of anger.”

Replace Self

I’m telling you, I ended up going down a deep hole with this idea of not finding “self-control” in the KJV. I even searched using the Bible Search Tools website to see how many times the word "self" alone is in the KJV. It’s only found six times in that translation. Is this because “self” wasn’t so important in the original transcript? I started thinking about how our generation is so focused on self. We are spoiled by luxurious conveniences, surrounded by self-indulgences, tempted by sinful pleasures around every corner. And then I had a huge realization. My struggle with self-control is rooted in self. I can’t control myself because I’m trying to do it by myself. No wonder I continue to fail and give in to indulgences. What if we replaced the word self with God. God-control! What if, instead of depending on my own strength, I actually tap into the Spirit of discipline He’s given me. Because it comes from Him, it’s a super-natural discipline beyond my human ability.

I couldn’t stop there. What other words need to be reworked. Since there are at least 440 words with self as a prefix, I’ll spare you from me fixing all of them, but below are some I couldn’t help but share:

• Self-discipline: God-discipline

• Self-care: God-care

• Self-centered: God-centered

• Self-fulfillment: God-fulfillment

• Self-preservation: God-preservation

What a total shift of the meaning!. The shift in these words completely changed from a focus on self to a Kingdom perspective. Isn’t that how we should approach everything- with a Kingdom perspective?

Self-Stuff

In 2020 when the world shut down because of COVID-19, I picked up a Beth Moore study that I had once started but never finished. I started going through the daily study and came to one particular lesson that hit me square between the eyes. Beth started talking about her "self-stuff". She said, “Almost every day I ask God to help me address any active “self-stuff” and nail it to the cross.” She went on to list terms that fall under “self-stuff” and don’t you know she asked readers to check the ones they struggle with most! The ones she listed were: self-exaltation, self-will, self-serving, self-absorption, self-sufficiency, self-protection, self-loathing, self-promotion, self-delusion, self-righteousness, self-worship, self-indulgence, and self-pity.

I’m ashamed to tell you how many of those boxes I checked. Alright, Lord! I see you! I’ll hand this over to you! I’ve got a lot of self-stuff going on! I expected to be healed overnight and became quite frustrated when I wasn’t. And then I realized one day while talking it out with him- it’s a journey. Just like Beth said, I have to take it to Him ev-er-y day! Satan knows exactly where to get me and He’s not letting up. But neither am I.

New Perspective

I set out this year with a new word to help focus myself on being more disciplined. That is still my goal, but now I have a totally new perspective. I realize that in order to be more disciplined, I have to recognize and battle against the self-stuff and instead be ruled by the God-stuff: God-preserved, God-centered, God-fulfilled, God- disciplined, and God-controlled. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 says, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” I am not adequate in myself. That’s why self-control has failed me. My word for 2022 is no longer self-control but God-control. It’s going to take a lot of work and training. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” My mind needs renewed daily (even hourly and sometimes minute-by-minute) by reading God’s Word, memorizing scripture for the battle, and going to Him constantly in prayer.

I’m sharing all this with you just in case there’s anyone else out there that has struggled with this hole controlling thy self issue. Our world is full of temptations. Self ain’t gonna cut it. On a lighter note, I wouldn’t hate it if cupcakes and Dr. Pepper in Heaven were good for you AND there was no laundry to fold. Just sayin’!