Self-Control

Reading: Psalm 38:1-22

"Add patience to self-control" (2 Pet 1:6)

A 16th Century Bishop used to say, "Self-control is nine-tenths of Christianity!" Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) commented, "Intemperance is one of the greatest—if not the greatest—of all evils known to mankind." King Solomon warned, "A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls" (Prov 25:28). Uncontrolled temper is an ugly fruit of sin. It's a wolf too ferocious for the flesh to tame. Our only hope is to let Christ transform our temper. Temperance is self-restraint in feelings, words and actions.

One of the paradoxical commandments in the New Testament is, "Be angry, and do not sin!" (Eph 4:26). I understand the meaning of this passage better from a modern paraphrase of the New Testament: "If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry—don't give the devil that sort of foothold."

Tongue-control is supreme when we talk about self-control. "We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way" (Js 3:2). Solomon challenged, "Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Prov 29:20).

Faultfinding and slander are the worst plagues the Church of Jesus Christ is suffering with. We don't realize — There's so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill becomes any of us to find fault with the rest of us!

How we react to slander and abuse measures how Christian we are! Attacks and counterattacks are unproductive. David said, "I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply... I prayed, O Lord my God, Don't let my enemies rejoice at my downfall" (Psa 38: 13-16). When Shimei cursed David, one of David's men wanted to cut off Shimei's head. But David restrained him with the words, "If the Lord has told him to curse me, who am I to stop him?" (2 Sam 16:5-10).

As we get closer and closer to the end of the age, there will be more and more "slandering without self-control" (2 Tim 3:3b). Let's resist our impatient and impulsive desire to root out all evil instantly. We are not capable of doing a perfect job. We may mistake wheat for weeds! Wait for the Day! (Mt 13:24-30; 1 Cor 4:5).

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Patience: NextAUG 13