Temperance Takes Discipline

By Fred Wikoff

For years I equated the word temperance with town drunks and the Salvation Army. This word association went back to the mid-forties when, at age nine, I sold papers on Saturday nights across the street from Eugene’s most famed tavern.

In those days it seemed as if everyone in Lane County converged in downtown Eugene on Saturday nights. Amidst this carnival like atmosphere the Salvation Army band regularly positioned itself on the parking strip in front of the tavern, and with rousing hymns and forceful preaching, did their best to remind drinkers that there is more to life than the bottle.

If this seems a little narrow-minded and overbearing by today’s more liberal Christian standards you must remember that “strong drink” was at the top of the list of deadly sins of most conservative Christian congregations back then. And new, innovative treatment groups such as, Alcoholics Anonymous, were being watched with hopeful anticipation by the public.

Against this background, it took years for me to realize that temperance, or self-restraint has a much broader application than practicing moderation in alcohol consumption. Temperance is nothing but plain old self-control. And self-control touches every part of our lives.

Unfortunately self-control seems to be in short supply in today’s world. Lack of self-control can be blamed for everything from credit card problems to broken marriages, as well as excessive substance abuse. And unless we are willing to discipline ourselves to solve the lack of self-control, we are doomed to live with our problems.

“Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems.” (M. Scott Peck, in “The Road Less Traveled.”)

The trouble is that living with the problem often appears more desirable than the discipline to solve it. This is why so many alcoholics must reach the bottom before discipline looks more attractive than the bottle; or take bankruptcy to make discipline more desirable than overspending; or a heart attack to make discipline more appealing than overeating.

Discipline involves taking personal responsibility for our actions; something that man has never been good at: “Eve made me do it.” (See Genesis 3:12) But it should be obvious to all Christians that accepting responsibility for our actions must take place if we are to be the examples God intended. We are God’s showcase . . . His light to the world. Thus it’s vital that we use discipline to assert self-control in all areas of our lives, but doubly so when it comes to sin.

We sin for the same reason we lack self-control in other areas of our lives. We sin because at the time it appears more desirable than to not sin. (See “If Sin Were Not Fun” in the February 2006 issue of The Christian Journal at LiftingTheCross.com

Fortunately, Christians have an important advantage in learning self-control to overcome sin: Christ’s promise: “I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor . . . he will teach you all things . . .” gives all believers the power to achieve the discipline necessary to overcome sin. (See John 14:16-26) And we can use this advantage to help us gain control over other problems in our lives as well.

Still, it takes desire on our part to seek and accept the Holy Spirit’s help. We have to want to change our sinful ways. God does not force his grace upon us, or ask us to comply against our will. But if we trust him he will give us the discipline to grow spiritually and the power to practice temperance in all things.

“For God’s temple is holy and that temple you are.” I Corinthians 3:17

“For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8

Fred Wikoff writes from Eugene, Oregon. EugeneSpud@msn.com