The Power in the Pause (Strength Through Self-Control)

Scripture Invitation

As we open our hearts to receive God’s Word today, I invite your prayerful consideration to the story found in 1 Samuel 24:1-22, where the Holy Spirit has illuminated a profound lesson on self-control through the life of David.

Bible Passage

1 Samuel 24:1–22 CSB

When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the wilderness near En-gedi.” So Saul took three thousand of Israel’s fit young men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave, so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’ ” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “As the Lord is my witness, I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage. David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave. Someone advised me to kill you, but I took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed. Look, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Recognize that I’ve committed no crime or rebellion. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life. “May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you. As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ My hand will never be against you. Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A single flea? May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May he take notice and plead my case and deliver me from you.” When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you. You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today. “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Song

“Take My Life and Let It Be” (Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #330)

Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Prayer

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, By the pow’r of grace divine; Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, And my will be lost in Thine.

Introduction

My brothers and sisters, picture this: A young man, hunted like a wild animal, chased by the very king who once loved him like a son.

David, the shepherd boy turned warrior, finds himself cornered in a dark cave.

The king, Saul, unaware, steps into that very cave to relieve himself.

Now, David’s men see their chance — the moment God promised, the moment to strike, to end the chase, to claim the throne by force.

But David, he does something unexpected.

He cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe — a small act, a symbol of power in his hand — yet he does not kill the king.

Why?

Because David understood a truth that many miss: True strength is not in the power to destroy, but in the power to restrain.

True victory is not in the moment of rage, but in the moment of self-control.

Church, is there anybody here who knows that the world is crying out for self-control?

Not just in the bedroom, not just in the diet, but in the temper that flares on the highway, in the tongue that wounds in the workplace, in the appetite that devours health and hope.

Is there anybody here who knows that self-control is the hidden muscle of the Spirit, the quiet power that keeps us from destruction and leads us into God’s purpose?

1. The Strength to Restrain: Self-Control Is Power Under God’s Authority

David had the power to kill Saul, but he chose restraint. Why?

Because Saul was the Lord’s anointed.

David recognized that his strength was not his own to wield selfishly.

Brothers and sisters, self-control is not weakness; it is the greatest strength.

It is the power to say, “Not my will, but Yours, Lord.”

It is the power to pause when the world demands we explode.

The Bible says in Proverbs 25:28, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

Without self-control, we are vulnerable, exposed to every attack, every temptation, every destructive impulse.

But with self-control, we build walls of protection around our lives.

We guard our hearts, our minds, our tongues, our bodies.

Church, let me tell you, self-control is the power to govern yourself when no one else is watching.

2. The Pause That Saves: Self-Control in the Face of Temptation and Anger

Look at David’s pause — that moment when he cut the robe but stopped short of killing.

That pause saved his soul and preserved God’s plan.

In today’s world, how many lives are lost because people cannot pause?

Road rage that ends in tragedy.

Words spoken in anger that cannot be taken back.

Impulsive decisions that ruin reputations and relationships.

James 1:19-20 tells us, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Church, the power of self-control is the power to pause — to breathe, to pray, to think before we act.

It is the power to say, “I will not be mastered by my emotions.”

Think about the headlines we see everyday in America:

school shootings fueled by unchecked rage,

families torn apart by uncontrolled tempers,

lives lost on highways because someone refused to control their anger.

Self-control is the pause that saves lives.

3. The Discipline of Daily Choices: Self-Control Beyond the Physical

Self-control is not just about avoiding sin in the obvious places.

It’s about the daily discipline of our choices — what we eat, what we say, how we manage our time and money.

Look at the stories of those who struggle with excess — the participants on “My 600-lb Life” who battle food addiction, the celebrities whose wild parties make headlines (Diddy), the everyday person who can’t say no to the next bite or the next angry word.

Titus 2:11-12 reminds us that God’s grace trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

Brothers and sisters, self-control is the discipline of saying no to lesser things so we can say yes to God’s best.

It is the daily choice to honor God with our bodies, our words, our actions.

It is the strength to resist the pull of the world and to walk in the Spirit’s power.

Application

Church, I want you to ask yourself today:

Where do I need the power of self-control?

Is it in my temper that flares too quickly?

Is it in my tongue that wounds with careless words?

Is it in my appetite that leads me to excess?

Is it in my finances that spiral out of control?

Self-control is not just about stopping bad behavior; it is about starting a new way of living — a life surrendered to God’s Spirit.

Practical steps:

When anger rises, pause and pray before you speak or act.

When temptation calls, remember David’s restraint and choose God’s timing over your own.

When cravings come, feed your spirit with God’s Word and your body with discipline.

Surround yourself with accountability — friends, mentors, church family who will encourage your walk.

Remember, self-control is a fruit that grows when we yield to the Spirit, not by our own might but by His power.

Closing & Appeal

As I close, hear me church, self-control is the power in the pause, the strength in surrender, the victory in yielding to God’s will.

So yes, we might be tempted, but:

Despite the pressure to explode, there is peace in the pause.

Despite the urge to lash out, there is power in restraint.

Despite the cravings that call me, there is strength in surrender.

Despite the chaos around me, there is calm in the Spirit.

Despite the battles I face, there is victory in self-control.

Despite the storms that rage, there is a fortress in discipline.

Despite the world’s wild ways, there is a way of holiness.

Despite the enemy’s lies, there is truth in God’s Word.

Despite the weakness I feel, there is power in the Spirit.

Remember, church, self-control is not just a fruit; it is the foundation of a life that honors God, a life that stands firm, a life that wins.

So somebody shout, “I will walk in self-control!”

Somebody shout, “I will yield to the Spirit’s power!”

Somebody shout, “I am strong because God is strong in me!”

Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, and through self-control, I will live for His glory!