Easy Target

Read Proverbs 25

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

Proverbs 25:28

Ancient cities depended on their walls. Tall parapets and towers, built from massive blocks of stone, provided a measure of security. Those inside the city controlled access by means of narrow, fortified gates. Once the walls were breached, attacks could come from any direction. The terror of defenselessness that underlies this proverb is difficult for us to feel; it’s ancient history. Perhaps a current concern like disease would give us a better sense of the crucial insight of this wise saying. A person without self-control is as helpless as a body whose autoimmune system has completely collapsed.

Self-control, like strong walls and healthy immune systems, doesn’t mean that challenges or attacks won’t come. It does mean that a person has established a thoughtful way to respond to pressure or attack. Without self-control, every challenge (even unintended ones) tends to be seen as a life-threatening attack. A person without self-control becomes exhausted from battling in all directions, often against imagined opposition.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Self-control begins with asking God for help.

Today, Lord, I too need self-control. I invite your Holy Spirit to create in me the kind of self-control that pleases you.