Today's "vitamin" is self-control

Here's our focus passage again:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (II Peter 1:5-9)

The third "vitamin," or additive to our faith, is self-control. Some translations call it "temperance." The dictionary reveals a couple of synonyms: moderation and self-restraint.
God's Word tells us that if we don't have self control, we will end up being slaves to the things that do control us. Those can be food, money, lust, popularity (or the desire for it), anger, and more. We can become overwhelmed with the consequences of not having self control in many different areas of our lives. If we can (with the help of the Spirit) be self controlled, we are laying a foundation for living that life of righteousness that we desire.
Do we want to reflect righteousness and selflessness? Do we want to imitate our Savior and bring glory to God? We can tap into His power to bring sins under control.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power,love and self-discipline. (II Timothy 1:7)

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Solomon said:

Better a patient person than a warrior,    one with self-control than one who takes a city. (Proverbs 16:32)

As believers, we are to control our flesh, our passions, and our natural desires -- instead of allowing them to control us!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:24-25)

Self control is NOT reacting in the heat of the moment, but reacting in the way that Jesus would. Do you remember the bracelets that were so popular for a while? They had on them in one form or another, beads, letters, or engraving, these letters: W W J D? They were intended to remind the wearer to ask himself or herself, "What would Jesus do?"  In this way, they would step back and try to respond as Jesus would, in each situation that they encountered.
Each and every day that we are blessed to be here on earth, enjoying the grace of God and His many blessings, we will encounter people and circumstances that require a response from us. Many times we will be tempted to respond in the heat of the moment, and we'll be tempted to sin. Will we resist that temptation and respond as Jesus would? Or will we give in and disobey God?

We've studied this before.....if someone cuts you off in traffic, or cuts you off in conversation? If someone grabs your promotion at work, or if they grab the produce you wanted at the grocery store? Will we be gracious?
Will we be self controlled?
It's not a bad idea to revive that question: "What would Jesus do?"
Or to rephrase it: "How would Jesus respond?"
We may think to ourselves that it's impossible to react the way that He would. And it's true, if we are relying just on our flesh, we will have epic failures!
But self control is one of the gifts of the Spirit:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God has indeed given us what we need, but we must continue to walk in the Spirit. In order to respond as Jesus would, we must supplement our faith, add a vitamin, so to speak -- add the vitamin of self control and we will see growth in our walk with Jesus Christ!

Lord, help us to respond to this world as you would; help us to rely on Your Spirit as we try to exhibit self control!