An Unexpected Blessing from Maintaining Self-Control

SELF-CONTROL is a fruitage of God’s spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Maintaining it under very unpleasant circumstances can make a favorable impression upon observers and may even move them to get to know the Source of this commendable quality. This was the experience of one of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses in California. He relates:

“I awoke early this one morning. Since it was a holiday and I didn’t have to work, I decided to take a walk around the block. As I turned the corner by my new neighbor’s house, I noticed him standing in the yard. Having previously made his acquaintance, I raised my arm and said, ‘Good morning, Don, how are you today?’

“Before he could answer, a long dark streak came charging through the yard and over the fence and started biting me fiercely on the legs. Instinct caused me to put my arms up to protect my face. Immediately Don was at my side. The long dark streak turned out to be his female Doberman pinscher. She mistakenly took my gesture of greeting as signaling an attack upon Don. Before he could quiet her down and get her off me, she had taken quite a few bites and torn my trousers in the process.

“Naturally I was shaken up over the ordeal and so was Don. But here is where the quality of self-control came into view. Instead of blowing up over the incident, I found myself comforting Don and explaining to him that the dog was only acting to protect her master from seeming harm. After establishing that the dog was fully inoculated against rabies, I painfully made my way home, where I immediately contacted a doctor who dressed my wounds and gave me a tetanus shot.

“Shortly thereafter a knock was heard at my door. Upon answering it, I found Don standing there. I invited him in, and he inquired as to how I felt after the doctor’s visit, and so forth. After casual conversation, he said: ‘I suppose you’ll want to have my dog destroyed or perhaps you’ll get your gun and shoot her yourself.’ Again I convinced him that I had no malice toward him or his dog. He was overwhelmed. He couldn’t believe that I had such self-control and wouldn’t repay injury for injury. I calmly explained to him that as one of Jehovah’s witnesses I cultivated the qualities of God’s spirit and that it was only through study and putting into practice what I learned that I was able to display self-control in this incident.

“A few days later my wife called on this neighbor and left the Watchtower and Awake! magazines with Don’s wife Mary. Shortly thereafter a Bible study was started with the family. Don remarked over and over again that any man who could control himself under such adverse conditions must have something going for him.”

What has been the result from all this? Now, as baptized witnesses of Jehovah, Don and Mary also appreciate that displaying the quality of self-control is vital for the Christian.