READING: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Proverbs 25-26
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
Proverbs 25:28
You probably know people who struggle with self-control. I not only know folks who do, but I’m also one of those persons at times.
Think about evidences that illustrate a lack of self-control. Eating too much food. Going too far physically in unmarried relationships. Spending too much money. Letting anger control you. Allowing worry to consume. Overreacting to problems. Clinging to addictions, etc., etc., etc. We’re a world out of control consisting of people out of control. Even the church—a people for whom self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)—deals with the same issue.
The writer of Proverbs was correct that “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Prov. 25:28). When we lack self-control, we make ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. We open the door even slightly, the enemy enters therein, and he hammers at us while we too often fall into his traps. It’s as if we were defenseless at the time. We know we believers who have the Spirit of God living in us are not defenseless, but our emotions and experiences sometimes cloud out our trust in the Word of God. We make ourselves known more by our lack of control than by the Spirit of God controlling us. To do that is a foolish step indeed.
ACTION STEPS:
- Determine whether your life is marked by a lack of self-control. If so, confess your concerns to God.
- Ask God to control you fully through His Spirit.
PRAYER: “Father, grant me freedom from those things that control me. I give you my life.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Review and catch-up day
