Self Control.

My favorite fruit of the spirit has always been JOY. For obvious reasons. 😉 (My actual middle name is Joy.) I live by that notion- to live with JOY. Always have.

But if I had a close second or maybe, even a tie for first, it’s absolutely also SELF CONTROL. I know, maybe kind of word. Very not sexy. But stick around, let’s chat about it.

Last fall, I read through a book called “Your Future Self will Thank You: Secrets to Self Control from the Bible & Brain Science” by @drewndyck. My sister actually introduced me to it and the moment I heard about it, I knew I needed it for my life because I needed to make some changes in many different areas and I had already failed so many times trying. I engulfed every piece of that book in a very quick timeframe and it solidified self control at the top ranks of my fav 🍎 of the spirit.

And… it changed my life, quite frankly. It helped me see how self control basically affects every other fruit of the spirit + truly, all of my life. And how much I really REALLY needed it. All my failures prior to this moment (and actually, afterwards too) are usually a side effect of lack of self control.

As with most things, it’s a marathon + not a sprint + I don’t find myself at any destination I was reaching for. Instead, enjoying the process of my growth + endurance. And practicing self control. It’s like a muscle. You need to use to grow it.

I was so moved by my learnings + enlightening that I, naturally, needed to get a tattoo of it to serve as a daily reminder for me. That I can choose to control my thoughts, actions, words, deeds, responses, conversations, + habits. I can actively work on my own self discipline so that I can more reflect who Christ made me to be. To deny the flesh + listen to the Spirit more intuitively. Trusting God to do His work in me + relying on Him to grow those fruits in me.

For me, self discipline is the control center of it all. If I am disciplined in my daily life, in my eating + movement + time with Jesus + cooking + cleaning + caring for others + being diligent in my tasks, everything else seems to fall into place. And so, I choose one of my actual favorite fruits - blueberries 🫐- + had a branch tattooed on me in Tennessee in February with a bunch of friends.

It reminds me each day to stay consistent + make conscious decisions. I think about will power being finite + thus, I work on lessening my temptation (y’all food is my weakness.) I learned so much reading this book. And now I got some blueberries to continue to teach me.

Go read Galatians 5 today + let Holy Spirit speak His truth to you.

Funny story- I had a totally different design drawn up for my tattoo and changed my mind a few hours before the tattoo appointment and searched for the perfect fruit + artwork that felt right for this piece. I love what I landed on!