Monday, October 21, 2013 [Self-Control]
Proverbs 25:28
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control"
The NET (New English Translation) Bible translator notes have the following:
"A person whose spirit 'lacks restraint' is one who is given to outbursts of passion, who lacks self control…This person has no natural defenses but reveals his true nature all the time. The proverb is stating that without self-control a person is vulnerable, like a city without defenses."
Emotions are not easy to control. There are simply certain things that can emotionally push us over the edge. Many times these things are deeply rooted in some past event or issue and a particular word or action can bring all of that past emotion to a present situation. When this happens our natural defenses break down (we loose our cool) and we say or do things that we wish we could take back. But, what do we do about this?
There are several truths from Scripture that are helping me on my journey (note: I am a work in progress)
#1 – God knows me better than I do…(Jeremiah 17:9)
"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives."
#2 – A Good Check-Up (Psalm 139:23-24)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
* Since I don't know everything that's lurking around in my heart, I need the Lord to point out the things I need to address. The only way I can do this is to spend time listening to Him and being ready to deal with whatever He shows me.
#3 – Prayer (Philippians 4:6-7)
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
* The peace of God that comes from praying about the things the Lord brings up during the check-up is a shield around our hearts and minds.
#4 – Watch Yourself (Proverbs 4:23)
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."
* For me, guarding my heart is paying close attention to those situations when I'm vulnerable. For example, I'm don't respond well to sarcasm. When I'm around it, I either try to change the subject or I leave the conversation. I have to do this to protect my heart.
I don't think that this ever gets easy. Following Christ is hard work. We find ourselves having to be vulnerable and brutally honest about our flaws and weakness (those we know about and those God shows us). But, this is not a bad thing because God's power works best in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
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