Seven Holy Virtues: Temperance

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

meekness, temperance...

Galatians 5:22-23

temperate adj. 1 moderate in indulging the appetite

not self-indulgent; abstemious, especially in the use of

alcohol;  2 moderate in one's actions and speech;

self-restrained; 3 moderate or restrained

 

I once had a female student that came into my classroom as a freshman.  She was a very pretty girl - the absolute essence of "perky."  She had an infectious smile and was the sort of person who never met a stranger.  I wish I could say that she was a joy to know, but the truth was far from that.  

She had a mouth that never stopped.  She was talking when she walked into the classroom, and had I not made it sure and certain that she would not continue to do so, she would have talked her entire way through class.  She was constantly whispering in corners, telling tall tales, gossiping about anyone and every one, finding fault, being critical - I'm sure you get the picture.  The only thing she enjoyed more than talking about other people's foibles was talking about her own greatness.  She could converse for hours (literally) about her many wonderful accomplishments, her many rewards, her many talents, and on and on and on.

Her excesses carried far beyond her incessant talking.  Anywhere there was a social event, she was in the big middle of it, trying to be the brightest and the best.  If a photo was being taken, even a serious one, she could never quite manage not to stand out in some way.  Unrestrained in eating, partying, and drinking (and we're not talking about water here), she was, and still is, the poster child for living a life of intemperance.

Temperance is the art of self-control rather than self-indulgence.  It is a hard lesson to learn for the young, and can be a life-long struggle for those who tend to be larger than life.  A life of moderation may seem boring to this generation, but life's hard knock lessons will bring home the truth that living temperately has its rewards.