Strengthening our Self Control

Developing good habits of self-control takes practice and encouragement.  For healthy living and relationships, we often need to exercise self-control in what we consume, how we react emotionally or engage in physical or intellectual activity and even in how we think.  Self-control is like a muscle and the more we exercise it the better we become at it.  Being conscious of those times where we are called to act with self-control is a first step in becoming more thoughtful in our responses.  When we understand and are committed to why we need to exercise self-control there is a greater likelihood of success.

Where self-control relates to personally held values, the why, becomes an integrated unconscious part of who we are.  When our values grow from a place of love and respectfulness of other people and a genuine appreciation of the gifts God has given us, we can gently grow our capacity for self-control.  Like all muscles it is also important that we have times of rest.  At any time during the day we can take a quiet moment to rest in God’s grace and reset.