Last spring I heard a commotion as I was leaving a discipleship group with some of our guys at an apartment complex next to campus. I couldn’t tell what it was at first, but then the source of the noise came into view. A group of 20+ young women in their underwear was marching along the street chanting about the right to dress the way they wanted without fear of being raped or harassed. It was quite the sight, particularly, as word spread, the men coming out of the their apartments to get a look. They seemed to enjoy it!
As I thought about this incident, this proverb came to mind. Walls in the ancient world were vital to protect a city from being attacked by enemies, and were a symbol of strength. This is why Nehemiah reacted so strongly at the news the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins.
For many today, like those women marching in their underwear, self-control is seen as weakness rather than strength. To be strong is to do what you want when you want without consequences. To show self-control is to be a prude or “holier than thou.”
Yet, as I look back on my life and view the many troubles others get into, it is so often the lack of self-control that is the culprit. Most rapes and violence on campus involve drunkenness. Road rage always results from seething anger that is allowed to flare. Incidences of child molestation have their roots in the inability to control thoughts and actions. And the unabashed desire to wear what one wants, regardless of how provocative, tempts the one whose urges are unrestrained.
Like an ancient city under threat needed walls for protection, so do we need self-control to protect ourselves in a fallen world. It is not “blaming the victim” to recognize the need for wisdom and restraint in our lives. Self-control is a necessity in the face of so many threats to our well-being. It is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
The enemy seeks to wreak havoc through the lack of self-control and a half-hour reading the news on the Internet will reveal the success of that strategy. For the follower of Jesus, self-control is a necessary protection against the devil’s schemes.
Today, while the culture may be telling you to do whatever feels good or to insist on your right to do whatever you want, know that danger lurks within that premise. Instead of being a hindrance on your freedom, self-control is a necessary protection from all that would seek to harm you. Therefore, you would be wise to have it, or, if you lack it, to seek it.
© Jim Musser 2015
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