FRUIT OF SELF CONTROL
Romans 12:2
Fruit Of The Spirit Message Series
June 12, 2016
Pastor Nathan J. Thompson
The story is told of the famous concert violinist, Paganini; one night he was performing before a packed concert hall accompanied by a full orchestra. While he was playing a favorite violin concerto one of the strings on his violin broke and hung down from his instrument. Relying on his amazing genius he continued playing the piece on the remaining three strings.
A few minutes later, however, a second string snapped. Yet again relying on his great genius he continued to play the piece on the remaining two strings. However then the third string snapped; three strings dangling yet he was able to finish the remaining notes on one string.
At the end of this magnificent concerto the Italian audience stood and applauded until their hands were numb. Paganini made more music that day on one string than most people could ever make on four. He definitely had an attitude of persistence; a spirit of self-control.
I think sometimes we as people focus way too much on the strings that break and dangle; we can call these things the inevitables. It is the car having a flat tire when you're late for an appointment. It’s taking your kids to a practice even though you are feeling very sick. Yet perhaps it’s even worse; it’s losing someone very special to you.
These are inevitables. You usually don’t have a choice over them; you can’t control them. Ah, but often we do have at least one string left. Then how can you play your life symphony on one string like the great Paganini did? Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” The answer is to be filled with God's Spirit of self-control and grace.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.”
The word “changed” means “transformed.” Perhaps some of you had the opportunity in school to experiment with caterpillars inside of a glass case. In a few days you watched as these caterpillars spun a cocoon around themselves; then after a period of time a butterfly came out. That process, of course, is called metamorphosis.
That also is what the word “change” means; it is to be metamorphized by God’s Spirit and grace. It’s like stepping into the cocoon of God’s Spirit and being transformed. This reminds me of the story I heard about a father and son who came to America from a third world country; they had never seen any modern technology.
One day they were standing in a large department store and they noticed that a certain wall would open and then close again; they had no idea what it was. These walls would open and people would get inside; then the walls would close. The father and son questioned each other about what this might be but they didn’t have a clue.
As they stood there they observed an elderly woman slowly walking up, pushing the button and then getting in when the door opened. Then the walls closed and there was a several minute wait. When the doors opened, however, out stepped a stunningly beautiful 24 year old young woman. Without hesitation the father said to his son, “Quick, go get your mother.”
Even though the man didn’t understand he was watching an elevator his thought process was that someone could be completely changed; a thinking that is similar to the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 12. Paul says that we can be completely transformed by God’s Spirit and love. Our attitude; our perspective on life; our self control can be completely changed.
However where do all these bad attitudes and actions come from? Most of them come from the thoughts we think; from the company we keep; from the problems we are going through. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful what you think because thoughts run your life.”
Allowing bad thoughts to infiltrate our minds is like putting cheap gas in a high performance engine. You can do it yet you won’t get anything near its full potential. Your minds and bodies respond exactly the same way. God created each of us very intricately; you are meant to be high performance. The thoughts you think; the ideas implanted in you can be like cheap gas.
The second place bad thoughts can come from is the friends and company you keep. There is a business principle that says that the people around you will determine the level of your success or failure. The people you are surrounding yourself with may either make or break you. As a counselor I heard one time stated, “If you’re feeling down, it may be time to change coffee shops.”
Have you ever seen geese fly south for the winter? They fly in a V formation. They do that because when they flap their wings they create a 71% greater lift for the bird behind them. Therefore the whole flock can fly 71% further by helping each other; by flying in sync together. This same thing is also true with the friends you choose; do they give you a lift or are they dragging you down?
The third place bad thoughts and attitudes come from is the individual problems you are dealing with. An important thing about problems is that they remind us that life is tough; they remind us we need God’s grace to help us through. Problems can actually be an opportunity; a time for you to learn; grow; mature spiritually. Problems can actually open us up to God’s fruit of grace and self-control.
Therefore the first way we can learn to play a symphony concerto on one string is by being transformed in the way we think. A second way is to choose to focus on the needs of others. Several times I have heard the analysis of the different names of magazines published through the years. One of the first magazines published was of course “Life;” it provided a look at life in general.
Then came the magazine, “People.” The focus began to narrow to look at people and celebrities. Then came the magazine, “Us.” The focus was now not on life or people; it was on us—on our attitudes, problems, intricacies. Then came the magazine with the title“Self.” The focus has now narrowed to simply one's individual self.
I read one time that one of the articles in “Self Magazine” was on how your hair has five enemies—sun; blow drying; hard water; pollutants; and hair stress. Yikes, if my hair is actually filled with turmoil and stress, how in the world could I ever possibly have time to worry about anyone else? Yet our God says we need to choose to focus on others.
It has often been said that if you are feeling down; if you are wrapped up in your own worries go and do something for someone else. Nothing changes your outlook and attitude like focusing on another person. The Bible challenges us to invest ourselves in others. It has been said that we may make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give away.
A third way to play a concerto when the strings in our lives are dangling is by enduring through our quitting points. What is your quitting point? If you're a runner and your legs feel like rubber; if you feel like you can’t hardly take another step you're at a physical quitting point. If you're doing a job where things are overwhelming you, you may feel you're at a vocational quitting point.
Perhaps you've had an argument that has gone and on and on with your wife/husband; you may feel like you're at a marital quitting point. Perhaps you may feel that with all the major problems in your life that God himself has abandoned you; this means you are at a spiritual quitting point.
It is true that it is so much easier to quit something than continue. It is much easier to walk out of a room than to stay and resolve a conflict. It is much easier to stay away from church than to listen to God’s word to us. It is much easier to play than to practice. It is much easier to do what we want rather than what God wants. That is why being filled with God's Spirit of self-control is so important.
Philippians 3:13 says, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Adversity can often help promote endurance; it can teach us self-control and patience.
When problems and difficulties come lots of us may be plagued with the thought of giving up; thoughts of simply throwing in the towel. Yet God’s grace can give us the power to be able to press on through the quitting points; the power of self control where we don't overreact.
The final way for us to play on one string when the others are dangling is to chart a course for personal growth. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” An extremely important way for each of us to grow in the face of the inevitables of life is by learning to know God’s word; by putting God’s word firmly in our hearts.
This means that it is important for you to be involved in ways to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s word. I invite you to worship with us at Messiah each Sunday this summer and fall; to get plugged into a service or mission project; to take advantage of a small group when our congregation offers them; to take advantage of message outlines and prayer opportunities. The more your faith grows, the more you will have the Spirit fruit of self-control when facing the challenges of life.
Dear friends, the inevitables definitely hit us all; sometimes they hit us extra hard. Allow God’s transforming grace to change your life and fill you with the Spirit fruit of self-control; then you too will be able to play on that one string to the best of your ability. May God’s Spirit fruit give you a vision to move ahead in life with faith and hope.