Day 4 Virtue Demonstration: Self-Control
You’ll need:
- 2L bottle of soda (Diet Coke works best)
- 1 package of mint Mentos
- Large wet towel (or mop) for clean-up
Explain:
Self-control is being able to control yourself so that you can act in a way that pleases God and others. There are many different ways we can practice self-control, and one way is by controlling our behavior.
The opposite of self-control is being out of control.When we don’t practice self-control in our lives, or when we sin, our hearts become somewhat like a pop bottle that is ready to explode.
Ask:
Can you give me some examples of sin that could get out of control in your life? Anger, disobedience, gluttony, lying, fighting, pride, stealing, cheating, etc.
Demonstrate:
This is what can happen when we don’t use self-control. Open up the Coke bottle and drop 5 Mentos in. Be sure to do it quickly because the pop will fly up fast. Use the wet towel or mop for easy clean up after the virtue demo is finished.
Explain:
See what happens when we don’t use self-control?
It makes a huge mess! We might not even realize
the effect it has on other people.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:25: “Every athlete exercises SELF-CONTROL in all things.”
One way we can practice self-control is with the food we eat. We can do that by making healthy food choices, eating one piece of cake instead of two, or just eating our food slowly and in small portions.
Ask:
What are some ways we can practice self-control with the words we speak?
Speaking only positive words, speaking kindly towards someone you may not like, being careful not to gossip about others, not complaining or arguing, not using bad language/swearing, etc.
How can we practice self-control with our actions?
We can avoid bugging or hitting our siblings, we can dress modestly, spend less money on candy and tithe some of our money instead, choose not to watch inappropriate movies, etc.
How can we practice self-control with our time?
Using your time wisely, playing 30 minutes a day on our electronics and video games instead of several hours, taking our time to open up our birthday gifts and being thankful for each one of them, etc.
Some challenging questions we can ask ourselves:
Do I spend as much time with God as I do on
the computer, watching TV or playing video games? Do I think about the words I’m speaking, and whether they bring life to others? Are we careful not to gossip about others or complain all the time?
Our words and actions are so important, and self-control can help us choose to do what’s right, even when it isn’t always easy.
