Pondering...

Something I read (technically re-read) tonight while sipping a cup of hot tea...

"The fruit of the Spirit (the evidence of God's Spirit being in you) is a list of Godly characteristics:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).  In the end, pursuing self-control does help my heart feel closer to Jesus and more pure to receive what He wants for me each day...instead of clogged with guilty feelings for my poor choices. 

But self-control is hard.  We don't like to deny ourselves.  We don't think it's necessary.  We make excuses and declare, 'That's nice for you, but I could never give that up.' And if we're relying on ourselves, that's true.  But there's another level to self-control that too few of us find.  Before the apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit in his letter to the churches in Galatia, he describes a power available to us that goes way beyond self-control:  'So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.' (Galatians 5:16).  In other words, live with the willingness to walk away when the Holy Spirit nudges you and says, 'That food choice is permissible but not beneficial -- so don't eat it.'  Not sinful -- please hear me on this.  Food isn't sinful.  But when food is what Satan holds up in front of us and says, 'You'll never be free from this battle.  You will always bounce from feeling deprived when you're dieting to feeling guilty when you're splurging.  Victory isn't possible.  You aren't capable of self-control with food,' we must see that it's inappropriate consummation [Angie note - Per Dictionary.com -- "fulfillment"] can be his lure to draw our heart into a place of defeat." ~ Lysa Terkeurst, Made to Crave, p. 61