What if self-control was never about trying harder?

In this episode of At Forest’s Edge, Raeanna Tilly explores the final fruit of the Spirit: self-control. But biblical self-control may look very different from the white-knuckled willpower we often imagine. What if it isn't about suppressing your emotions, silencing your desires, or simply trying harder to be “good”?

Through Scripture, the meaning of the Greek word egkrateia, the imagery of the iris, and a surprising thread from the story of Odysseus and the Sirens, we’ll look at what it means to develop inner strength, spiritual discipline, and a sound mind through the Holy Spirit.

For the Christian woman who struggles with fear, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, temptation, unhealthy cycles, or simply wonders why she keeps doing what she knows she shouldn't, this conversation offers a different way to understand self-control and the fruit of the Spirit.You don't have to extinguish the fire inside you. You may simply need to learn how to guard it.

🌿 At Forest’s Edge is a Christian women's podcast about faith, Scripture, art, mythology, folklore, and the deeper places where God meets us.

Come sit at the edge of the forest and walk with us. More Artwork, Books, Podcasts and free resources available atforestsedge.com

Topics: self-control, fruit of the Spirit, Christian women's podcast, Christian woman, biblical self-control, spiritual growth, spiritual discipline, Holy Spirit, overcoming fear, anxiety and faith, taking thoughts captive, Christian encouragement, Christian living, emotional self-control, inner strength, trusting God, biblical womanhood, faith and fear.

What if the voice that keeps you striving, criticizing, and keeping a record of every failure isn't the voice of God?What if being hard on yourself isn't discipline?In this episode of At Forests Edge, we enter the quiet work of gentleness the 8th fruit of the Spirit, and one of the most misunderstood.The Greek word prautēs does not describe weakness, passivity, or simply being “nice.” It carries the picture of strength under control, power held in love rather than driven by fear. And that changes the way we think about how we treat ourselves.For the woman who gives everyone else grace but cannot seem to extend it to herself, this conversation is an invitation to consider a different way.We explore:• Why self-criticism can disguise itself as discipline• The biblical meaning of gentleness, meekness, and humility• The Greek word prautēs and the image of a trained war horse• Hebrew anavah and the freedom of releasing the need to prove yourself• Jesus' invitation: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden”• Why God gently leads those who are carrying something• The story of Psyche and what her impossible tasks can teach us about striving, help, and the soul• Body image, perfectionism, self-worth, and learning to treat your body with gratitude rather than contempt• What it means to walk in step with the Holy Spirit instead of driving yourself into the ground• And the beautiful truth that you do not have to destroy yourself to become who God made you to beIf you've spent years being generous with everyone except yourself, this episode is for you.You are not the exception to grace.You are not required to drive yourself.You are invited to grow.And perhaps the gentlest thing you can learn is this:God is not standing over you with a measuring stick. He is singing over you.📖 Scriptures explored: Galatians 5:22–23, Matthew 11:28–30, Isaiah 40:11, and Zephaniah 3:17.🌼 Flowers of the Spirit: The Gentleness Daisy a fine art giclée print inspired by the fruit of gentleness is available at atforestsedge.com

What if faithfulness isn't about never falling behind, never struggling, or never having to begin again?In this episode of At Forest's Edge, we explore the biblical meaning of faithfulness through the beauty of the gladiolus, the Hebrew word emunah, and the faithfulness of a God who keeps covenant even when we feel like we cannot.For the woman who's tired of starting over, who's wondered whether she's consistent enough, or who's longing to build a life rooted in something that lasts, this is an invitation to see faithfulness differently.Through Scripture, mythology, and a deeply personal story of restoration, we discover what it means to return, to remain connected to God, and to let the Holy Spirit grow in us what we cannot manufacture through sheer effort.Because faithfulness may not look like a perfect record. It may look like showing up again.🌸 In this episode:• Biblical faithfulness and the fruit of the Spirit• The meaning of emunah and pistis• Penelope and the myth of returning to the loom• God's covenant faithfulness• Finding hope in seasons of starting overPull up a chair at the forest's edge. Your story isn't over, and the morning is waiting.🌿 Explore more:🎨 Fine art and Flowers of the Spirit: https://atforestsedge.com📖 The Happy Little Sunflower: Finding Hope in the Valley✨ Hosted by Raeanna Tilly, watercolor artist, children's author, and Artist of Hope.#ChristianWomenPodcast #Faithfulness #FruitOfTheSpirit #BiblicalEncouragement #ChristianWomen #FaithOverFear #SpiritualGrowth #GodIsFaithful #AtForestsEdge #RaeannaTilly

You've spent years trying to be good enough... and somehow the finish line keeps moving.In this episode of the Fruit of the Spirit series, we're looking at goodness... not the version our culture sells us, the performance metric, the moving standard, the exhausting comparison game... but the goodness Scripture actually describes. And what Jesus says about it might stop you in your tracks.We'll trace the word tov all the way back to Genesis, sit with a surprising claim Jesus makes about Himself, and ask what it means that goodness might never have been yours to generate in the first place.Along the way, a muted lavender zinnia, a thread found in old fairy tales about the overlooked and the underestimated, and a painfully honest story about what it's like to pour your whole heart into work that still feels like it's missing something.If you've been striving to close a gap that never seems to close, this one is for you.🌿 New episodes of At Forests Edge release weekly, exploring the Fruit of the Spirit through Scripture, word study, watercolor art, and story.Find the full Flowers of the Spirit fine art print series, my book The Happy Little Sunflower: Finding Hope in the Valley, and the free newsletter at atforestsedge.com✨ Subscribe for the next episode in the series#FruitOfTheSpirit #ChristianWomenPodcast #AtForestsEdge #GoodnessOfGod #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudyForWomen #ChristianArtist #WomensFaith

If kindness used to come naturally and lately feels like a language you've forgotten how to speak, this episode was made for you.In this discussion of the Fruit of the Spirit series, we're exploring kindness... not niceness, not a personality trait, but a fruit that flows from being connected to the source, not from trying harder on an empty tank.We'll dig into the Hebrew word chesed and the Greek word chrestotes, unpack what it means that God's kindness "appeared" in Titus 3, and follow the Dahlia, a flower that gives more the more it's harvested, as a picture of what it looks like to stay filled instead of running dry.If you've been running on empty and quietly ashamed of the shortness in your voice, come sit with us for a while at the edge of the forest.🌿 Fruit of the Spirit series🎙️ At Forest's Edge, a Christian podcast for women who want to go deeper📖 Explore more at atforestsedge.com#FruitOfTheSpirit #Kindness #AtForestsEdgePodcast #ChristianWomensPodcast #Chesed #BibleStudy #FaithAndHope #ChristianContent #SpiritualGrowth #WalkingWithGod #HopeInChrist

If you are tired of holding on and no one around you seems to notice how long you've been holding, this episode was made for you.In this installment of the Fruit of the Spirit series, we're exploring longsuffering... not passive waiting, but the active, rooted endurance of a soul that keeps going through the long, hard season it did not choose and cannot end.We'll dig into the Greek word makrothymia and the Hebrew phrase erech apayim, walk through James 5 and the image of the farmer who tends the field and waits for rain, and follow the Aster, the flower that blooms in October when every other flower has already surrendered to the cold.If you've been doing everything right and still watching a dry sky, come sit with us for a while at the edge of the forest.🌿 Fruit of the Spirit series🎙️ At Forest's Edge, a Christian podcast for women who want to go deeper📖 Explore more at atforestsedge.com#FruitOfTheSpirit #Longsuffering #AtForestsEdgePodcast #ChristianWomensPodcast #Makrothymia #BibleStudy #FaithAndHope #ChristianContent #SpiritualGrowth #WalkingWithGod #HopeInChrist

If your mind has not been quiet in longer than you can remember, this episode was made for you.In this installment of the Fruit of the Spirit series, we're exploring peace... not the kind that depends on your circumstances finally calming down, but a different kind entirely. The kind that shows up in the middle of the noise, not after it.We'll dig into the Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirene, unpack what Philippians 4 actually means when it says peace will "guard" your heart and mind, and follow an ancient thread that runs through nearly every culture on earth... the image of still water as the place where peace is finally seen, not made.If you've been striving for calm and only growing more exhausted in the trying, come sit with us for a while at the edge of the forest.🌿 Part of the Fruit of the Spirit series🎙️ New episodes from At Forest's Edge Podcast drop weekly📖 Explore more at atforestsedge.com#FruitOfTheSpirit #Peace #AtForestsEdgePodcast #ChristianPodcast #ShalomPeace #BibleStudy #FaithAndHope #ChristianContent #SpiritualGrowth #WalkingWithGod #HopeInChrist

The joy of the Lord is your strength... but what does that actually mean when your circumstances haven't changed and the joy still feels far away? In this episode of the Fruit of the Spirit series, we look at joy through two Biblical languages, the Greek word chara and the Hebrew word simcha, and discover why joy was never meant to be manufactured... only received.We'll sit with Nehemiah 8:10 and unpack what it means to draw strength from His joy, not our own. Along the way, we meet the Lily of the Valley, a flower that blooms low, in the shaded and sheltered places, not the mountaintop... and ask why that might be the truest picture of joy there is.This is for the woman who has everything she needs and still can't find the joy she thinks she's supposed to feel, and for the woman in a season where happiness feels far away. It's not a pep talk. It's an invitation to open your hands.🌿 New episodes of At Forest's Edge release regularly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next in the Fruit of the Spirit series: Peace.Find the Lily of the Valley print, the newsletter, and more of Raeanna's work at atforestsedge.comAt Forests Edge is a Christian storytelling podcast for women seeking deeper faith, hope, and renewal. Hosted by watercolor artist and author Raeanna Tilly, each episode explores scripture, theology, myth, folklore, creativity, and the stories that shape our lives. Together we'll uncover the beauty of God's redemption, renew our minds with timeless truth, and discover the deeper meaning woven through faith, story, and everyday life. For the woman standing at the threshold, longing to follow the light a little farther into wonder, wisdom, and grace.Connect with me & find my art & book:Website: ⁠https://www.atforestsedge.com/⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/raeanna_artistofhope⁠Art Tutorials on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Raeanna-ArtistOfHope⁠Subscribe to my monthly newsletter : ⁠https://www.atforestsedge.com/subscribe/Listen on Audio Platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02OWATALEgNcDBtIiFM9Ec

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-forests-edge/id1884436915

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForestsEdgeAt Forests Edge PodcastSeries: Fruit of the Spirit Part 2Episode: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength 10