Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Among the pictures from my childhood, I found a photo of a little boy wearing a pair of giant headphones. The moment that I saw it, I was transported back in time to my childhood. I loved listening to records on those headphones. Not much has changed in that regard. I still love listening to music on a pair of noise-canceling, over-the-ear headphones. Antshillvania, Bullfrogs and Butterflies, and Music Machine were among the handful of albums we owned. I think I wore those records out listening to them so often. I can still remember the words to many of the tracks. Here is one on self-control: “Once I had a knot in my shoe. And it would not come loose. I tried and tried and pried and pried. But it would not come loose. I got so mad I kicked the door and stubbed my little toe. Ohhh! If only I had learned a little bit of self-control. Self-control is just controlling myself. It’s listening to my heart. And doing what is smart. Self-control is the very best way to go. So I think that I’ll control myself.” Singing these words was how I learned about self-control.
I should say, this is how I learned that controlling myself was a good thing to do. I’ve spent every day since that time trying to do it. There is a big gap between singing the song at the top of your lungs as a little boy and living a self-controlled life. But why do we need to be controlled? Why can’t we just enjoy our whims and fancies without limits? Let’s break it down.
Freedom is precious. We should enjoy the freedoms we receive in Christ to the fullest extent, but let’s not confuse our freedom with a license to encroach on another’s freedom. My liberty to swing my arm wildly in the air ends well before I hit my neighbor in the nose. Self-control helps me to regulate the line between myself and others. It protects others from my selfish words and actions. I have no right to assert my will upon my neighbor by force. I have no right to invade his space or take his possessions.
