10.21.11

Proverbs 25:28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

My Thoughts

I kept trying to write on something else today... but then I kept coming right back to this verse... for some reason I kept reading it... God just kept pulling me back until I read it enough to really, really "get it."  So I did stop and think about it... all its words... The walls of a city are to protect the city from the enemy. If any part of the wall is broken down the city is at risk.  Our enemy is satin who is always looking for a way into our lives through the cracks, through the places that are broken down. Satin is always, always looking for the places where we lack self-control. We think of a lack of self-control when we first read this as someone who flies off the handle easily, or I did.  Someone who has no self-control over their temper.  But, actually we can lack self-control in so many areas in our lives.  Some people lack self control over alcohol or drugs, some over their temper.  Some people lack self-control over their money, their spending habits.  Some people lack self-control over how much time they spend on the computer.  Some people lack self-control over sweets or other foods.  I have a  bit  of  a self-control issue over how much time I can spend knitting, or crocheting. Some people even lack self-control over, over analyzing every part of every day the are actually obcessed with taking something and thinking it to death. Turning something simple into something huge. 

The devil loves those "broken down walls" in our lives.  It is his way of getting in.  I think of old city walls or something uniformed... all in balance when you see them from a distance... perfectly spaced watch towers... clean crisp corners... look outs in the front and on the sides and in the back.  We need to be that way about our lives... we need to keep lookout for the places where we lack self-control... If we tend to overspend we need to make ourselves a check list of questions that help us make wise purchase, instead of impulsive one.  If we get lost in playing (with yarn, me) we need to make us a " you can play when you get this done" list. We just need to be totally aware of the places where we lack self-control and work on those areas of our lives so that we can better serve God. So that we can better serve the people around us... so that we can have a balanced life. We need some more well done's in our lives and less "should have" dones.  Satin loves to use the "should have dones" to trip us up. He loves to tempt us where we lack self-control and then tell us how bad we were because we listened to him.

God on the other hand loves to tell us how to do life better.  How to have balance. God even tell us that we don't have to do it alone. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).  This verse doesn't say some things.. it says "all things." That means Jesus will help us in the areas where self-control is a problem, all we have to do is ask.  We can use this very scripture to tell the devil "I can" when the devils tells us we can't. I have learned to say it out loud...so the devil hears it...and so I know it three times.. once in my thoughts, once from my mouth and then back into my ears.  God give us what we need to be balanced people. We have to "fix" our thoughts, our mind on self-control. A wall broken down is so much easier to completely than a wall in balance, a wall with all its parts in tact. 

Today I will make a choice to exercise self-control over something new.  It all starts with a step, a little life change here, a little life change there.. God wants us to have life in abundance... He just gives us free will to make the choices that make life wonderful.