God gives us strength to find self-control

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control."

- Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

Are you overindulgent or impulsive? Do you think before you speak? Or do you blurt out anything that's on your mind? Do you need to have the last word?

Do you resist the impulse to buy something you don't need? Or does that desire to add one more thing to your cart tug at your heartstrings before leaving the store, only to leave you broke and disgusted that you couldn't resist?

And what about passing up that second helping or oversized portion of dessert? Does it trap you every time?

If this is you, don't feel alone or ashamed. I'm not excusing the behavior, but all of us face temptations and are overindulgent or out of control in some area of our lives.

Oftentimes, we can serve others too much. We can overwork. We can overexercise. Yes, even too much of a good thing is overindulgence. We must all work, sleep, eat, spend etc., but when we overdo it, we are headed to a path of destruction that depletes our energy and diminishes our true productivity, relationships and true enjoyment.

The good news is the Lord Jesus Christ can help us break free of behaviors through the use of self-control. Self-control is a Spiritual attribute deposited deep within each believer. It's not mere willpower or wishing. It's actually God's power within ourselves to give us the strength we need to exercise self-control in our lives.

We don't actually lack self-control, we just lack the use of it. A self under control takes responsibility for their own actions and doesn't place the blame on others. Looking at what self can change and control is no more than controlling our own attitudes and behaviors - not those of someone else.

Self-control helps us make decisions about money, time, relationships, etc. based on practical principles we can learn rather than just following the pleasurable desires of the culture.

Practicing the use of a controlled life helps us feel powerful, not powerless, as we ask for and yield to God's help and not merely our own. It helps us improve our lives as we overcome destructive obstacles and develop our greatest potential to succeed and live a life of joy.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.