BROKEN DOWN WALLS
A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)
Can you name the fruit of the Spirit? If you can’t, you can find the list in Galatians 5:22-23. Perhaps you were able to recall love or patience, but I think self-control, which is listed last, is often overlooked. As the Spirit of God guides our lives, we should grow in self-control. This is evidence, or fruit, of our being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Solomon, credited as the wisest man ever lived, has an interesting take on self-control. He says that without it, we’re like a city with broken-down walls. That language may not seem to make much sense, but we’re reading it through the lens of here and now. A principle of good hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) is that we must first seek to understand what the Scriptures meant to their original audience.
In biblical times, walls were a safeguard against wild animals, bandits and invading armies. Cities would have walls that ran all the way around them as a first line of defense. Recall the fall of Jericho (see Joshua 6), where God supernaturally interceded on behalf of the Israelites to bring down the mighty walls surrounding the city. In a perhaps less well-known story from the Old Testament, we see Nehemiah leading the people of God to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. Everyone hearing this proverb of Solomon would have implicitly understood the value of walls.
So, too, should we understand the value of self-control. It can protect us from the flesh, the fallen world and its temptations, and the onslaught of the enemy and his forces. Without self-control, we’re prone to making decisions that will ultimately lead us away from God rather than toward Him. Unfortunately, we often see self-control reduced to the ability to refuse dessert or make a splurge purchase. It’s so much more than that! In the context of our message from this week, self-control will help us respond appropriately in our anger and as we encounter the anger of others.
APPLICATION: On a scale of 1-10, where would you rank yourself when it comes to self-control? Consider asking those closest to you where they would see you falling on that scale. Ask God to help your self-control to grow, and if you’d be so bold, also ask Him for opportunities to practice self-control.
PRAYER: God, help me to honor You in how I think, speak and act. Grow within me the fruit of Your Spirit, particularly self-control. Help me to be gracious, patient and merciful in my relationships, just as You have been with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?