Willpower, temperance, self-control… and gratitude?

There was a buzz in the air at the little church in my tiny swath of the Midwest this past Sunday. Between the poor squirrel who had given its life to knock out the power earlier in the morning, the forgetfulness of the worship leader to have what was prepared for speaking brought to church, and the chatter of parishioners who just could not settle down for worship, there was an energy that could not seem to be contained. There appeared to be little self-control that morning. The squirrel was too curious for its own good. The worship leader had a moment of indiscipline when it came to preparing her part of worship. The church was too excited for the coming holiday week and that old faces that hadn’t been coming were in church…. plus there was pie afterwards. It seemed some sort of willpower was lacking. Or was it?

Self-control is the last listed Fruit of the Spirit. But for some, this fruit seems to be somewhat of a negative connotation. To have self-control means to have some sort of discipline or willpower, which often means that one must abstain from certain pleasures or things that bring joy. Indulgences of any kind are viewed as bad.

But that contradicts the list of the fruits, since self-control is mentioned alongside such fruits as joy and love, peace and patience, generosity and kindness, faith and gentleness, all of which, if cultivated correctly, can bring all kinds of pleasures. So perhaps self-control isn’t so much about abstaining from things as it is more cultivating the kinds of control one wants in their own life.

Instead of malice, cultivate kindness.

Instead of greed, cultivate generosity.

Instead of hatred and division, cultivate love.

Instead of strife, cultivate peace.

Instead of intolerance, cultivate patience.

Instead of cruelty, cultivate gentleness.

Instead of resentment, cultivate joy.

Instead of intemperance, cultivate gratitude.

Wait, what? Gratitude? With self-control?

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the United States. This is a day to count one’s blessings and give thanks for what has been done. It’s a day for gratitude and thankfulness. It’s also a day to be reminded that we have the free will to choose to be grateful for what we have. We have the choice to cultivate what we want in our lives. We can choose to harbor ills. We can choose to make magic. We can choose to temper our lives or be intemperate.

**Little tangent here – C. S. Lewis has a a wonderful passage on the virtue of temperance in his book Mere Christianity. Okay, end of tangent.**

The entire list of the fruity gifts is more a cornucopia of things to live by, a casserole of things that once mixed together cannot be separated. One cannot have love without kindness, peace without patience, joy without generosity, faith without some sort of gentleness. Without temperance, without willpower, without self-control, one cannot have any of the other fruits and vice versa. Perhaps that’s why it is listed last. It’s the hardest to master and yet the most simplest as well.

One must have willpower to act on faith to make changes happen, to show love to those deemed untouchable, to be kindness and gentleness in a world that mocks such traits. One must learn the gift of self-control to give generously even to those who might not deserve it, show patience when it’s easier to judge, and to find ways to live peaceably even when it’s all for naught.

Everything, even pleasures and indulgences, in moderation. Everything done with a thankfulness that comes from learning all of these good gifts.

Choose gratitude. Find willpower. Master that self-control.

Stay magical.

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