IN OUR CONTROL

There are various lists of familiar things that we can control in our life. I like this list and think it covers most of the major areas of interaction with self and others.

Five things we can control:
Words
Attitudes
Motives
Actions
Thoughts

Each thing on the list could have much said about it, with explanations and examples. In Galatians 5 we have a list of “fruits of the Spirit’ (5:22-23):
“But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

There is little chance of controlling anything on the ‘Five Things’ list above until we live by the power and the list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The final one listed is self-control. There will be little control of anything until there is self-control.

“But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.” (Galatians 5:16-17)
“But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” Jesus