Ecclesiastes 7:8
"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
Proverbs 16:32 says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Ruling your spirit is important to what kind of Christian you are going to be. You show me a person who has no control over their spirit, and I will show you a person who has no control over their life.
When talking about one's spirit, it is important that we understand what type of spirit we should have. You will find in Ecclesiastes 7:8-9, three types of spirits God wants you to obtain. Each of these will take work, and you will have to rule your spirit to have these, but each of these will bring positive results in your life.
The first spirit you need to work at having is a patient spirit. Impatient people rush into things that will harm them. You must not be a person of haste. As much as you would love to rush into certain things, you must have a patient spirit to keep from making foolish decisions. You need to let your spirit be patient in finances. So many people rush into financial decisions that they regret later in life when they are stuck with paying the bills. Have a patient spirit in your relationships. If you are dating someone, learn to be patient and let God lead you in that relationship. When working with people, you must have a patient spirit so that you don't lose your cool and lose a good testimony. With your spouse you need to have a patient spirit so that you don't ruin your marriage. Having a patient spirit will keep you from much heartache.
The second spirit you need to work at having is a humble spirit. Pride is one of the greatest sins everyone fights. There is something about the human nature that wants to be recognized by all, but we must keep our spirit humble and let the LORD decide when to lift us up. Be careful to have the type of spirit that points to Christ when it comes to receiving credit. Let Christ get the glory for your accomplishments. Have a humble spirit that deflects credit to those who have helped you with your accomplishments. Don't always have to be the one who is lifted up. Having a humble spirit will cause the LORD to use you in a greater way.
The third type of spirit you should work at having is a spirit that is slow to anger. Don't be quickly angered. Learn to control your spirit when you want to get angry. The best way to be slow to anger is to be yielded to the Spirit of God. You will find that things that normally anger you won't anger you when you are controlled by the Holy Spirit. You will find when the Holy Spirit controls you that you will be angered by sin and want to help the sinner. Your anger won't be directed at people, but at sin. This is having a spirit that is slow to anger.
Friend, ruling your spirit in these three areas will be a lifelong project. Every day you need to work on your spirit in these areas. If you can conquer your spirit in these areas, you will find that life will be more meaningful and that more will be accomplished for Christ on a daily basis.