Today, an epidemic of obsession with everything from food and drink to personal agendas plagues society. Self-indulgence in anything, especially in titillating religious knowledge, leads to severe spiritual problems. A person indulges himself by taking unrestrained pleasure in his pursuit of enjoyment, showing undue favor to his desires and feelings. By excessive compliance in gratifying our own desires, we pamper, humor, and spoil ourselves, resulting in injurious effects on character through inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort. The power of appetite stands as a great enticement to self-indulge, often manifesting as extravagance or wasting one's means and body. Such behavior promotes attitudes like fanaticism, false security, presumption, and fun-seeking, where fanaticism represents an unbridled obsession and gratification of selfish desire. The effects of a self-indulgent life include poverty, spiritual emptiness, and death, characterized by a lifestyle of abandonment to desires for comfort and pleasure. Ultimately, self-indulgence drives an excessive striving for more worldly pleasure, never satisfying those whose chief aim is sensual gratification, and can lead to full-blown addiction. It emerges as a spiritual failing, evident in historical examples where indulgence in spiritual gluttony led to rejection of God, with individuals growing fat and rebellious from pampered living. Today, some face similar temptations through a constant bombardment of enticing new ideas that allure the spiritually weak, repackaged by the great deceiver to trap the self-indulgent. Yet, the solid foundation of God endures, offering clarity to those who repent and live according to the way of life represented by Christ's name.

In this fast-paced world designed by satan, lifestyles are a constant whirl, lived on the edge of disaster, leaving no time to meditate on gaining control over one's life. Perhaps this is why satan has created such a system, to sweep us along on the crest of a surging tide of worldliness. The supreme irony is realizing how little control we exercise over ourselves, finding ourselves enslaved to habits engraved on our character over years of practice. This discovery can be a devastating, humbling blow to the ego, especially when we contrast Almighty God's standard of thinking, speaking, and behaving with the fashion of the world we have thoughtlessly followed. Self-control, listed as the ninth and last of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, is vital to Christian living. It means possessing power, having mastery over one's desires and impulses, holding in hand the passions and appetites. Despite its obvious importance, we should not limit our understanding to merely stringent discipline of passions but include having good sense, sober wisdom, and moderation as contrasted to insanity. Paul uses runners in the Grecian games as examples, showing the utmost tension and strenuous effort required, with steady concentration and focus to avoid distractions. The victorious runner sets an example of rigid self-control, religiously following a rigorous program and abstaining from sensuous indulgences and even legitimate things that do not fit into his schedule. Self-indulgence is a powerful pull that must be controlled, as noted by the apostle John with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are of the world, and following them keeps us conformed to it. Our eyes can excite us to desire evil, and if complacent, we can be trapped in sin almost without thinking. The body and mind possess appetites that can lead to sinful excesses if not controlled, pulling us in countless directions away from supreme devotion to Him. The senseless luxury of this generation, exaggerated care of the physical body, and intemperance in eating and drinking are a curse and shame, molding us to seek material comforts far beyond our needs, drowning the spirit and producing needless anxieties. We must subordinate these insatiable appetites so they do not master us and lead us into sin.

In this nation, self-indulgence reigns as individual responsibility fades and self-control becomes an unfamiliar concept. People refuse to govern themselves, casting off all restraint to pursue raw lusts and desires, leading to out-of-control behavior. This lack of self-control mirrors the historical example of Israel, who, when left unchecked, turned to idol worship and wild behavior, becoming a laughingstock to their enemies. God has designed curses as the inherent result of such self-indulgence, and this nation now faces the confusion and rebuke promised to those who fail to develop self-discipline. Society today glorifies self-indulgence, with out-of-control performers celebrated in media as heroes for their disregard of law, reaping short-term rewards that carry severe consequences. These consequences, deemed curses by God, manifest in the moral decay seen in Hollywood and beyond. Without the defense mechanism of self-control, people stumble into foolishness and disgrace, evident in behaviors like alcoholism and gluttony, which fail to amplify love and instead lead to absurdity and folly. Self-indulgence also appears in various forms such as lust, greed, drowsiness, conceit, sexual sins, gossiping, violent quarreling, and careless speech, showcasing a lack of character to self-govern. In contrast, self-control, or mastery over one's passions, holds appetites in check and regulates conduct against sensuous desires. Moderation is key to this virtue, standing in direct opposition to revelry, which embodies unrestrained enjoyment and decadence. The absence of self-control fosters behaviors like overindulgence, sexual misconduct, strife, and envy, reflecting a decadent manner of life that contrasts with the call to live in peace. Self-mastery, however, requires active effort and personal sacrifice, resisting actions that may cause pain to others and prioritizing love over self-interest. Jesus Christ exemplified this mastery, restraining Himself even in the face of suffering, demonstrating outgoing concern for others rather than for Himself. His life of self-control, resisting temptation and submitting to God's law, sets the standard for overcoming natural human tendencies. Self-control is essential for holiness, a governing quality for God's followers, and a manifestation of God's work through the Holy Spirit. It strengthens the mind to resist rebellious desires and tempting pleasures, requiring daily dedication to align actions with God's will. Without self-mastery, harmony between God's law and human behavior cannot be achieved, hindering the development of holy, righteous character necessary for salvation.