Self-control

 Reading Proverbs 5, I am thankful for grace. For a period of time, I got caught up in worldly thinking and living. Many of us have in one way or another. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness. Proverbs 5:23. Lack of discipline, lack of self-control. That was me. I bought into the lifestyle of the 90's.  I remember thinking after my first divorce of being celibate. But a Christian woman told me this is the 90's, that is not realistic. I think I listen to worldly advice instead of King Solomon in Proverbs chapter 5. King Solomon had been given a lot of wisdom by God. King Solomon had asked for it. God said ask me anything and King Solomon did ask for wisdom that he might lead God's people in a manner pleasing to God. How are we to be salt and light to a world that is on its way to hell if we don't look any different than the world around us?  If God's people are shacking up outside of the bonds of marriage? This is pretty much what this 5th chapter is talking about, at least it is what stood out to me. I'd feel guilty and want to do right and got into a marriage where my spouse did not want to live according to God's word. I have stories I would like to bury, I really do.  I would not edify anyone by telling them. They are now part of my history. A part of my history that has been forgiven. There are memories I would like to forget, they are part of my history. Bad decisions I made that were contrary to God's will for my life, were sinful. Except for God's mercy, they would have destroyed me. This is what strikes me in reading Proverbs 5.  The lack of self-control. I do have some stories of the good kind, that I am not afraid to tell. Stories that I can say do as I did, not just what I say. One of the good stories happened some 30 years ago, where I used some good sense (well maybe not at first).  I was taking my son to work, it was very early in the morning like about 4:30 am.  I saw two ladies on the street corner trying to hitch a ride. I could also tell they were very drunk.  On my way back home the two ladies were still there, and I did offer them a ride home (this was not good sense).  They had been celebrating one of the sister's birthdays. One of the sisters got in the back seat. The other in the front gave me directions to take them home. She directed me to the back seat sister's home and then to her home. Then it happened, in her driveway, I faced one of the greatest temptations I have ever faced.  She was a pretty native American woman and she asked me to come into her home at dark-thirty in the morning. No one would know except me and God.  I held on to the steering wheel, I was trying to be faithful to my God and my wife and I did not give in to the temptation presented to me. Maybe I was foolish to try to get those ladies off the street, but I had worried that they might stager into the traffic as drunk as they were. I did not expect one of them to offer her body to me. No one would know, it was dark and no one I knew would see. That is how temptation comes to us. I tell this story because I did resist and did not give in to the temptation presented to me. It was extremely difficult. The woman appeared very attractive to me.  But what a different story I could be telling today if I had yielded to temptation. I did not know this person, was she married? I was. I could have ended up with a child that I did not know anything about. What about sexually transmitted diseases?  I could have started an affair that would destroy my marriage. If a child was born and I did know about it, would this child have been raised without a father as is an epidemic in our country today?  This story could be so different if I had been promiscuous on that day.  Yet it is a story that is repeated in our country over and over again and children are raised without two parents. I didn't have time to think about all the consequences of that decision.  It happens with people that call themselves Christian also. We are tempted, we are not immune because we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. But we need to be people of integrity, that is the only reason I tell this particular story.  We need to honor the God that we claim to love with our very actions, not just depend on his grace to get us through. What kind of worthless salt would I be in this world if I gave in to every temptation that presented itself. Self-control, that is one of the times I exercised it in my life. In 2 Peter 1:6,  the Apostle tells us self-control is one of the attributes we need to add to our life. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8. 

The Apostle Paul tells us self-control is one of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:23. 

 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:22-24.

In 2 Peter and Galatians verses above are things we need to add to our lives including self-control that we may live productive and God-pleasing lives. I thank God for Mercy and Grace. God bless, LVZ.