Grace Under Pressure

“10 percent of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10 percent is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80 percent can be moved in either direction.” – Author Susan Sontag

Which direction will you move? Will you move closer to cruelty or closer to mercy?
Self-control is the restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires. Exhibiting control means giving grace to others – an undeserved favor producing the other fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (NIV).

Ernest Hemingway once said, “Courage is grace under pressure.” Such words ring true for us when we deny our first instinct and restrain ourselves when interacting with others. It may feel like ‘pressure’ to hold back, but the weight that we feel builds our faith muscle and grows our relationship with the Lord. Some say Self-control is mentioned last in the list of the fruit of the Spirit because it’s the hardest to cultivate.

Let’s break it down by looking at the four types of self-control:

Impulse
Before you act, stop and think. Impulse control means pausing before acting. People with low impulse control speak without thinking, interrupt others, and are more likely to overreact when upset.

Emotion
Feel your feelings! Emotional control is the ability to manage and regulate emotions. People with low emotional control don’t handle criticism well, get easily frustrated, or have trouble keeping calm when someone upsets them.

Movement
Keep your hands to yourself. Movement control is restraining body movements. People with low movement control can be restless, fidget, or play with their hands, or have difficulties sitting still.

Spiritual
God is in control; he has a plan and a purpose. His discipline and rules are meant to provide protection and security. Proverbs 25:28 explains, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (ESV).  This type of restraint is developed through patience, being slow to speak, and is increased by demonstrating kindness to others.

Stop. Breathe. Commit. Echoing Hills aims to extend grace as we grow our relationship with the Lord and with others.

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-3-types-of-self-control