Proverbs 25:28

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

How many men or women can you count who are able to “rule” their responses to others? I know very few. If we are honest with ourselves, we cannot either.

This proverb compares one who does “not rule over his own spirit” to a city with broken walls. Consider several analogies between the two: (1) Both are exposed to dangers. A city without protections will fall to an enemy; one who does not govern his spirit is vulnerable to temptations and Satan’s attacks; and (2) Both have poor reputations. A city must have protections, otherwise, it is a shame to the leadership of that city. One who can’t rule over his reactions brings shame upon himself.

Our Savior lived a perfect life and at all times he trusted his life to the guidance of his Father in heaven. We need to trust our Father to help us to conduct our reactions to others; that even when accused falsely, we will not be shamed. Pray, too, that we may live our lives so that others who know not our Lord will see our good works and give praise to the Father in heaven. 

© 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in its entirety or in unaltered excerpts, as long as you do not charge a fee. For Internet posting, please use only unaltered excerpts (not the content in its entirety) and provide a hyperlink to this page, or embed the entire material hosted on Tenth channels. You may not re-upload the material in its entirety. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By George McFarland. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org