Self-control

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. – Proverbs 25v28

Can you remember the last time you ‘lost it?’ Maybe it was the kids. Maybe it was that jerk in traffic. Maybe it was the spouse. Maybe it was that idiot at the till or that voice on the phone. We all know what it is that sets us off.

Some of us have more of a problem than others. Some of us can sense that feeling in our gut that slowly but surely boils to the surface. Or maybe it is that anger that just explodes out of nowhere. But some of us really know what it is like to just simply lose the head.

I wish I could say that I don’t have that issue, but I do.  As I have aged I have, by God’s grace, learned to bite my tongue and control it sometimes, but sadly, I have to admit that I still can blow up at times.

The Bible addresses this issue in the Old and New Testaments. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a requirement for a pastor or deacon. It is simply a part of true Christian character.

Here in Proverbs it is more practical and pragmatic. Sometimes we need to see things from that perspective. Not only is losing it wrong, it also is dangerous.

When we don’t have the ability to control our anger we are like a city which has lost its defences. The walls have been torn down and the enemy is free to enter. When we can’t control ourselves we put ourselves at danger physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Human opposition has an open door and spiritual enemies are free to work in us.

Self-control. It is not just a godly character trait. It is good for eternity, and it is also good for now.