Summer Fruit Devotion: Self-Control Day 1

Slaying Dragons

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
Proverbs 25:28

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:17-21

I chose dragon fruit for this week of self-control because to me self-control is like taking down a fierce dragon. This has been a very personal fruit in my life because over the years I have fought some hard battles, from eating disorder, to drug addiction, to porn addiction. And I still fight struggles of selfishness, greed, phone/social media addiction and yes, I still struggle in my relationship with food. Do you see the broken city in your mind’s eye, with a dragon spewing flames and burning the walls to the ground? I don’t want to be an enemy of the cross. I don’t want my end to be destruction, I want to be transformed by Christ. I don’t want my belly, my sinful appetites, to be my god, I want God to be my God. I don’t want to glory in my shame, I want to glory in Christ. I don’t want my mind set on earthly things but on my citizenship in heaven and the soon coming of my Savior. So, how do we slay the dragon? Surrender. Not to the dragon, but to the Holy Spirit. After all, self-control is His fruit.

Journal time. Read Romans 7:15 – 8:17 and record your thoughts. Do you often feel like the author, wanting to do good but finding yourself in sin anyways? Do you feel the war within yourself between the flesh and the Spirit? If you do, that’s great news! It means the Spirit is at work in you.

Pray with me today. Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that we are not alone in our struggles to have self-control. You called us out of darkness and now we live in the light. Let the light of Christ show us where we need to surrender to the Spirit so we can finally have victory over the out of control appetites in our lives. Holy Spirit we surrender to you. When we are drawn in by temptation help us to stand firm in the truth that we have been set free from the sins we used to walk in. Heal the places we have let greed and selfishness break down inside us. Help us to rebuild the walls and slay the dragons. In the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.