30 March Proverbs 25

Self-Control: Guarding Your Life

Proverbs 25 offers wisdom on various aspects of life, emphasising the value of wise leadership and sound judgment. It discusses the importance of humility, patience, and the power of gentle words over harsh ones. The chapter also highlights the significance of good relationships, effective communication, and the need for discernment in making decisions. Overall, it promotes wisdom as a foundation for successful living.

Proverbs 25:28 (NLT) reminds us, "A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls." This powerful metaphor emphasises our role as the guardians of our lives. We hold the keys to what enters and exits our hearts and minds. As the Amplified Bible elaborates, “Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man who has no self-control over his spirit .”

Self-control is a vital fruit of the Spirit, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." This self-control develops through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, reflecting God's presence within us.

Hannah Abrahamson poignantly states, “A lack of self-control will lead us to focus on ourselves and what we want instead of on God and what He wants. We begin seeking comfort in the worldly rather than the heavenly, often at the expense of loving others. We might start believing we know better than God.”

Just as a city without walls is vulnerable, a person lacking self-control exposes themselves to danger. By relinquishing self-discipline, we effectively dismantle our protective walls and invite trouble in. Proverbs 16:32 (AMP) underscores this: “He who is slow to anger is better and more honourable than the mighty , and he who rules and controls his own spirit than he who captures a city.” Without self-control, we become defenceless against the enemy's attacks, akin to a city without fortifications.

Sober Mindedness In 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP), we are warned to “be sober , be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion , seeking someone to devour.” Likewise, Romans 6:12-14 (MSG) advises us not to “give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”

Finally, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG), asserts, “The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

By cultivating self-control, we reinforce our spiritual defences and prepare ourselves to face life's challenges with resilience and strength.