Sushi + Self-Control

Welcome to the Season 3 FINALE! Do you lose your mind over some delicious sushi? Asking for a friend... maybe.

In Episode 8 of Season 3, Desireé illuminates the importance of self-control. How well we exercise this fruit determines SO much in our lives. God wants us to live incredible lives – but also within His boundaries for our lives. Growing this fruit in our lives sets us up for big wins!

 Topics include:
Self-control defined (2:37)
This is for my fellow-food lovers (3:38)
Self-control and the mindset of an elite athlete (6:25)

Join Desireé as she uses her trips around the sun to throw encouragement around like confetti!

Transcript

Desireé Melfi Bozzo: 0:06

Ciao and welcome to Life out loud. I am your host Desireé Melfi Bozzo. We are going to use this space to share experiences and help you find lasting unshakable unwavering unmessable-with joy and gratitude. We're going to be throwing around encouragement, a little bit like confetti and giving you support to live your very best life. Ciao friends! Welcome to the season three finale of the life out loud podcast. I am your host Desireé Melfi Bozzo. Thank you for joining me in this last episode of the season, literally cannot believe that we have three seasons under our belt. Like can't even… what? That's insane! So, but anyway, I am delighted you're here. I hope you're delighted you're here. Without further ado, let's get going. As you know this season we've made our way through the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians five. If you're new and or haven't, haven't heard of them or wondering why I'm talking about fruit, go back to the first episode of this season and take a quick listen to get caught up. So the fruits we've covered this season are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness. We are ending the season talking about self control. As I was I was studying for this episode, I kind of shook my head and laughed a little because how did I end Season Two talking about the O word SPOILER ALERT obedience. And this season talking about self control? Way to end the season on a high note! I don't know about you. But in full transparency. Also full disclosure, they are both annoying, but necessary thorns in my side. Obedience and self control are painful at times. But we also know they hem us in to living in right standing with God and within his beautiful will for our lives. There's so much commentary about self control and living in lockstep with the Holy Spirit. And I believe this is because the Bible has so much to tell us about it. I truly believe it's because it's that important. How well we exercise self control determines so much in our life. And now before we dive too far too fast, because it's entirely possible to do. I want to I want to stop for a second and I want to define what self control means. Self control is really the ability to control your emotions and desires and the expressions of them through our behaviors and actions. In other words, other words that come to mind when we talk about bearing fruit have self control are: composure, cool, calm collectedness, restraint, temperance, willpower, abstinence, moderation. Now, if you're anything like me hearing these words and imagining the implications might seem a little like wearing a wool sweater, turtleneck on a 90 degree, summer day, I felt that too, until I gain more understanding and that's what I want to. That's what I want to share today. I want to share a deep biblical dive into self control and unpack what Scripture is really saying. I think in doing this, it frees up a lot of our own worldly commentary around it.

In first Corinthians 6: 3:38

12 We are told that we are allowed to do all things but not all things are good for us. Now before you roll your eyes and click the off button and be-bop to another place Hear me out for a second. I love french fries. And I also love pizza. I love sushi and chocolate fudge cake like you know the chocolate cake with the fudge icing that's kind of shiny and yeah, that fudge cake and let's not even get me started on my love for ice cream. Do you remember the 90s commercial for, Oh Hershey's where it was like“I scream you scream we all scream for….” Friends, I felt that marketing campaign in a deep way. Now, here's the problem with all that love. Just because I'm allowed to eat any and all of that doesn't mean it's helpful for my body - doesn't mean that's good for me. There are so many examples of this if we peek into our lives. Binge watching our favorite shows, scrolling for hours on end, spending our money and frivolous ways. Sharing our bodies a little too freely. Letting our thoughts or emotions run wild and the list list goes on and on and on. All of these things we're able to do we have freewill to do. But not all of it's good for us. I love the way the Message translation illustrates First

Corinthians 6: 5:14

12. It says, looking at it one way you could say anything goes because of God's immense generosity and grace. We don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster. But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well. But our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. Friends, we serve a God who has given us the world to enjoy immensely like a good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over and poured in your lap kind of enjoyment, but not without boundaries. In one of my previous episodes I talked about I don't remember if it was season one or two, but I talked about bumpers that little kids use in bowling. No matter how crooked or off center, the ball is thrown, the bumpers push it back to center in the lane. Self control is a lot like having bumpers on our life. Things go a little bananas, but self control bounces us back. When I think of the concept of self control and bringing this fruit to bloom in my life, I can't help but think of an elite athlete, and no one out there who knows anything about me as surprised by this. I am obsessed with empowering people to master mindsets like that of an elite athlete. When we do this, we live better. Think about it the greatest names in sports and I'm going to name my top three Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods… debate me, please. They didn't achieve greatness in their sport because they lacked self control. They achieved what so many of us could dream only dream about because of the bumpers on their lane that were so narrow and so tight, there was no room to deviate. They were so dialed into their craft, that the habit of having self control became second nature, what they fed their bodies, how they trained how they practiced it all hinge on the ability to bear the fruit of self control. Friends, there's a lot of shiny fool's gold in this world. Things that are enticing and make a play on our fleshly desires and proclivities. When we lack self control, and when we chase after these things, these desires of the flesh, we're going to come up empty every single time - asked me how There's a verse in an elevation worship song that I know I've I know. quoted it before it says I searched the world. But it couldn't fill me. Man's empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough. This world and its offerings, they are enticing, but they will never fill us up. And they weren't meant to because if they did, we wouldn't have a need for Jesus. When we have self control, we care more about the Lord's desire than our own. When we have self control, we can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and live in God's good and perfect will for our lives. In Romans 12: 2 it tells us do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good and pleasing and perfect will.

Jeremiah 29: 8:44

11 says, “ for I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When we can bear the fruit of self control and live in lockstep with the Holy Spirit. We are content and if I can be transparent, our lives end up blowing our own damn minds. I promise you that.

Proverbs 25: 9:11

27 and 28 reminds us it's not good to eat too much honey. Nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep, like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self control. When the city's walls are broken through it leaves the door open for all kinds of things to come in. Just like a city's walls protect a city and its people. Believe it or not, self control protects us. Friends, this world is filled with all of the glittery enticing things we desire. bear the fruit of self control like your life depends on it. Because I promise you it does. My sweet friends. That was a heavy one. I know why do I always end my season so heavy? I don't know. It's just the way they come out. And here we are. I hope you enjoyed the season three finale. I hope it put a fire in you. I hope it sparked things in your life that you need to cut off or prune or pull in or rein in. Oh man, I truly pray that as you listen in on the fruits of the Spirit, you are able to to gain a deep understanding of what they are. I pray you're able to see where they are in full bloom or not in your life. I pray that learning more about them helped you find ways to strengthen their bloom in your life. Help you walk in absolute lockstep with the Holy Spirit. I pray that your life shines with love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self control forever and ever. Amen. My sweet listeners as I sign off the last episode of season three. Stay tuned into my social media for what is next. We will throw more encouragement around like confetti of course as always, but be careful. If you get too close. You just might get some on you and remember there's always always always something to be thankful for. Ciao. Thank you for joining me Desireé Melfi Bozzo for this episode of Life out loud. I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment. Tell me what topics you want to talk about and how you take your coffee. If you enjoyed what you heard, text a friend the link share it on social media or if you're interested in becoming a supporter, be-bop over to my webpage life out loud.me and sponsor a cup of coffee that keeps this podcast fueled. Until next time sweet listeners!