Power of Restraint

Have you heard of the Marshmallow Test conducted by Stanford University Researchers in the last 1960s? Researchers submitted hundreds of four-year-olds to a little test of willpower:  the kids were put in a small room with marshmallows, each had one marshmallow in front of them. They were told they could either eat the treat now, or, if they could wait for another 15 minutes until the researcher returned, they could have two.

Some kids waited while others failed to resist the whirlpool of temptation for even a minute. Many others struggled a little longer before eventually giving in. The most successful kids were the ones who figured out how to distract themselves from the marshmallow’s seduction - by facing in different direction, closing their eyes, or kicking something...etc. - and delayed gratification for the full 15 minutes.

What’s interesting is that these kids who waited for 15 minutes were significantly more successful in life than the kids who gave in. Even the SAT scores were an average of 210 points higher among those who waited 15 minutes. 

The strength to achieve a goal and accomplish a dream come from self-control! People who are on the path to destruction are people gives in to their impulse. But the path of success is found in those who are able to manage their impulse through self-control. Self-control is indispensable in order to live in peace and in harmony. It’s the power to live according to what we know to be true and right over impulsive living. 

Researchers have estimated that we make over 2,500 choices every day. Therefore having the self control to choose to live according to the principles in God’s Word is the most important decision you can make. A Christian who lacks self control is like driving a car down hill with a broken break system.

Bible says “Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” in a open field. 

Genesis 4:6 | “The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?”

When self control is out of control, people kill. 

Proverbs 12:16(NLT) | A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

Victor Frankl, the Jewish psychologist who spent time in a Nazi concentration camp in Germany wrote, "They stripped me naked. They took everything -- my wedding ring, watch. I stood there naked and all of a sudden realized at that moment that although they could take everything away from me -- my wife, my family, my possessions -- they could not take away my freedom to choose how I was going to respond.”

What is love? It is the power to be patient. It is the ability to bear all thing in all circumstances. There is a reason why the fruit of the Spirit found in the book of Galatians starts with love and ends with self-control. Love without self-control turns to unrestrained lust. Self-control without love is cold and brash. But with the balance of love and self-control, there is power and strength to make a difference! May you and I live our lives in such a way love and self-control enables us to impact this world as disciples of Jesus. Have a blessed week!