A Man without Self~Control
is like a City broken into
and left without Walls . . .
Proverbs 25:28
*KNOWLEDGE IS POWER*, but the best and Most Useful Form of that Power is Power over Ourselves. So said the Philosopher Spinoza, whose words could have come straight from the Bible. As you may already know, the Bible is thoroughly Pro~Self~Control, which puts it in Opposition to our Culture, which tells us that giving in to every Selfish Impulse is a Good Thing.
Our Ancestors could not have grasped this. They would have asked the Obvious Questions: How can you even Develop a Self if you have no Self~Control? How can People get along well in the World if each one is at the Mercy of the Others' Impulses?
Proverbs 25:28 compares Self~Control to the Walls of a City. With no Walls, a City was Defenseless, almost certain to be attacked by enemies from without. With no Self ~ Control, a Person is Defenseless, certain to be at the Mercy of his Own Impulses. Aside from his Impulses Harming Himself, they can do tremendous Damage to the People around Him. Think of some Basic Problems of Contemporary Society ~ Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Predatory Sexuality, Street Crime ~ and you can Trace them all to People giving in to their Worst Inclinations. And by Failing to Practice Self~Control, they grow Less and Less able to Exert it.
It is appropriate that Proverbs 25:28 uses the Image of an Undefended City: the Main Reason that so many Cities Today are Hellish Places to Live is that so many of the Inhabitants have no Self~Control. Graffiti, Muggings, Road Rage, Physical and Verbal Abuse, the Taken~For~Granted Lack of Courtesy that Grates on every~one's Nerves ~ chalk them all up to Lack of Self~Control. Even when we aren't Affected Directly, we Live in the Fear of other People Losing Control.
One of my College Classmates works with an After~School Program with Junior High/Middle School Kids, Teaching them to Abstain from Sex until Marriage. Does the Program Work? In terms of 100 Percent Effectiveness, No. In terms of Some Effectiveness, Yes. Children and Teens know something Instinctively: you can't go through Life without Rules and Boundaries. Some Behaviors have to be off~limits. They expect Adults to be Boundary~Setters, and they have more Respect for the Adult who says, "Just Say No" than the Adult who says, "When you do Engage in Sex, be sure to use Protection, and . . ."
The same applies to Drug and Alcohol Programs that Emphasize "Just Say No." It seems pretty clear that too many Adults have abandoned their Tasks as Standard~Setters and Teachers of Self~Control, and the Young Folks have responded in the predictable way, not Respecting those Adults. Happily, some Grown~ups prefer doing the Right Thing to being "Cool," and Kids Respect this.
Kids need to Hear the Same Message as Adults: the Real Hero is the Person who Conquers His Evil Inclinations. Ultimately, the only Power a Person has is that which he Exercises over Himself. True Power is Knowing that You can, but you Don't.
Resolution: Think of People you know who are "Severely Lacking in "Self~Control." Are those People Happy? Have you ever considered Suggesting to those People that they might try Not Giving in to all Their Impulses?
