The Self-Control Weapon: Don’t Pull the Plum Yet

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his Christmas pie. He put in his thumb, pulled out a plum, and said, “What a good boy am I.”

Most of us learned that nursery rhyme as children and never gave it another thought. But through the lens of Jesus, Little Jack Horner tells a familiar story. Jack sees something he wants, reaches for it, takes it, and congratulates himself for getting it. That sounds a lot like us.

We live in a world of immediate gratification. We want answers now, comfort now, success now, relief now, and pleasure now. Yet one of the greatest lessons Jesus teaches is that strength is often found in waiting. You see, before Jesus preached a sermon, healed a disease, or called a disciple, the Spirit led him into the wilderness (Matthew 4). There He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Hungry, weak, and alone, He faced temptation.

Satan’s first challenge seems reasonable: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Bread wasn’t evil. Hunger wasn’t evil. The temptation wasn’t about bread. It was about gratification. Satan was essentially saying, “Take care of yourself now. Satisfy yourself now. Why wait on the Father?” Jesus refused. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In that moment, Jesus revealed the heart of self-control. He chose trust over appetite. He delayed immediate satisfaction for a greater purpose.

That’s the battlefield.

Many people define self-control as resisting bad things. Jesus reveals something deeper. Self-control is often surrendering a good desire to God’s timing rather than demanding it of ourselves. This helps us better understand one of Jesus’ most challenging teachings: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28-30).

Too often this passage becomes nothing more than a discussion about sexual sin. While it certainly includes that, Jesus is exposing something much deeper. The issue is not merely behavior. The issue is desire that refuses boundaries. Lust says, “I want what is not mine.” Lust says, “I deserve this.” Lust says, “I will take it.” At its core, lust is the refusal to wait.

Throughout Scripture, adultery is also used to describe God’s people abandoning Him for other gods. The prophets repeatedly accuse Israel of spiritual adultery—not because of romance, but because their hearts wandered. Their trust wandered. Their devotion wandered. In that sense, adultery is bigger than marriage. It is about loyalty.

Anything that captures our hearts more than God becomes a rival affection. Money, power, status, comfort, recognition, and even good things can become idols when they occupy the place that belongs to God alone. The wilderness and the Sermon on the Mount teach the same lesson. Satan’s strategy was simple: “Take what you want now.” Jesus’ answer was equally simple: “I will trust My Father.” One voice says, “Pull the plum.” The other says, “Wait.” One voice says, “Take control.” The other says, “Trust God.”

I’ve learned this lesson repeatedly while caring for my wife, Sherrie, during her battle with glioblastoma. When someone you love is suffering, every instinct wants immediate answers and immediate relief. You want God to move faster. You want healing today. You want certainty right now. Yet some of life’s deepest lessons are learned in the waiting. Faith grows in waiting. Character grows in waiting. Trust grows in waiting. And self-control grows in waiting.

The greatest example of self-control wasn’t in the wilderness. It was in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had the power to walk away from the cross. He could have called angels. He could have stopped the suffering. Instead, He prayed: “Not My will, but Yours be done.” That may be the greatest display of self-control in human history. Not because Jesus lacked power. Because He mastered it.

The world sees strength as getting what you desire, but Jesus teaches that true strength lies in trusting God enough to wait for His timing. This is the Self-Control Weapon—The Art of War in Jesus’ way. Sometimes, victory means learning a vital lesson: avoid rushing like Jake in the corner, pulling on the plum. Instead, follow Jesus’ example: wait patiently and pull it at the right moment, experiencing self-control through delayed gratification. This path allows you to enjoy the rewards of emulating Jesus, where life is good, not just some of the time but always. 

As always…God is here. God is able. God is good.

Pastor Drake

I’ll be continuing this conversation later this week on the Just Sayin’ podcast, where we’ll take a deeper look at The Self-Control Weapon: Don’t Pull the Plum Yet.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so, we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.