By Mike Hosey, Elder at Fellowship Church
"Some of my favorite moments during my personal bible study
occur when I have one of those unmistakable aha! moments. "
Recently, while reading in Proverbs I was hit by the very
simple truth of how important self control is to our spiritual, physical,
emotional, and psychological health.
Proverbs 25:28 reads, "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a
man who lacks self-control (NIV)."
That Proverb presents such a vivid picture! In the ancient
world a city's first line of defense was its wall. A broken wall meant that an
enemy army could enter that city unimpeded, destroy its strong men, enslave its
citizens and set itself up as the new order!
When we don't exercise self-control, or continually repair
it, bolster it, monitor it and tend to it, we run the risk of allowing an enemy
into our lives, who can then set up his own order and govern our lives contrary
to good health and spirituality.
Once the self-control wall is breached, we become slaves to
temptation -- sometimes until almost all the good in our lives has been laid
waste.
Proverbs 16:32 says, "Whoever is slow to anger is
better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city
(ESV)."
Notice that truth! He who rules his spirit -- that is he who
exercises self-control -- is better than he who takes a city! If you keep your walls maintained, then the
enemy cannot breach them.
This is especially true when we consider that God gave us a
spirit of self-control (2 Tim 1:7). In
fact Galatians 5:16 says that if we live by the Holy Spirit -- meaning that if
we yield to Him -- that we won't yield to sinful desires. And later in verses
22-23 it tells us the fruits of yielding to that Spirit.
So what was my aha! trigger?
The very last gift, self control, finds itself an integral part of all
the others. You simply cannot have true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness without self-control! They all require
active choice.
