October 26
Jeremiah 48-49
Psalm 119:25-32
Proverbs 25:27-28
Hebrews 7:1-10
Restraint
“It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs 25:27-28 ESV
Self-control or restraint provide protection for us. They protect us from ourselves and our own appetites. In ancient times, cities had walls for protection. If they had no walls, they had no means to protect themselves. There were watchmen on the walls who would warn of any danger coming. If they saw a raiding army, they would signal to the men in the city to prepare for battle. When the army arrived, they would be met with a defensive front. If they had no walls, they would have no warning and could be overtaken by surprise and destroyed. The walls also protected them from wild animals and bands of foreigners who could sneak in and steal from them. That is a great picture of the role of restraint in our lives. Restraint puts a wall of protection around us. This applies to every area of our lives. Proverbs is filled with verses about self-control. Verse 27 tells us that it is not good to eat too much honey. We all know that sweets taste good. They are delicious in fact. And in moderation they are ok. A cookie, a bowl of ice cream, a piece of cake or a brownie is perfectly fine. The problem is that too much of a good thing is bad. Too many sweets can lead to weight gain which leads to numerous health issues like diabetes and heart disease. The other problem with sweets is that the more you eat, the more you want. There is a physiological reason for this. When you eat sugar, your brain releases dopamine which gives you a pleasant feeling, a sugar high. The more you eat the more you want. Your brain actually craves sugar. That is one of the reasons it is so difficult to lose weight. We must train our bodies to be satisfied with other things like fruit and protein, things that are good for our bodies and not detrimental. We must use self-control. An occasional piece of cake is fine, but dessert after every meal is not good for anyone. Using restraint can protect us from having health problems later. This applies to other areas of our lives as well. Using self-control in our finances can keep us from racking up huge credit card bills. Living within our means is not only wise, but also protective. A lack of self-control in our sexual life can lead to relationship problems. Looking at porn, flirting with that cute coworker, or reading inappropriate books may seem harmless, but they can lead to desire for more sinful behaviors that destroy marriages and break up families.
Verse 27 also says that it is not glorious to seek out one’s own glory. At first glance, this doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the passage, but upon closer examination, it is very closely related. Seeking our own glory is, at its root, about getting our satisfaction from the approval of others. Ultimately, it is the constant need for the attention and positive affirmation from people in our lives. Instead of being motivated to please God, we are motivated by a desire to please people and have them tell us how great we are. This can be just as addictive as sugar. The more praise we get, the more we want. It takes a great deal of self-control to not be offended when our actions are not recognized, when someone else gets the credit for something we did, or when we don’t feel appreciated. It takes restraint when your mom is talking about how smart your brother is, not to get jealous and point out something smart you did. When your boss suggests that your coworker should help you with your project because they have previous experience, it takes self-control to not get defensive and tell him you can handle it on your own. When your friend posts a picture of her daughter getting a trophy for sports, it takes restraint to not post a picture of your daughter doing something impressive. We don’t like to think this verse could be talking about us, but I think we are all guilty of this at times. We all want people to think highly of us. We want others to like us and respect us. That is not a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when we crave the approval of others, and it becomes a motivating factor in our lives. Social media can feed into this. Posting pictures or comments seeking the likes and affirming comments of others is a form of seeking one’s own glory. The constant need for the approval of men is not only unhealthy, but also sinful. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (ESV). The only thing that satisfies the cravings of our hearts is Jesus. Food, sex, material possessions, power, status, and popularity only provide temporary pleasure and leave us craving more. A deep abiding relationship with Jesus fills our soul and satisfies our heart. He can give us the strength to use self-control in all areas of our lives so that we have protection against our own desires and the temptations Satan uses to entice us.
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