When God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, He gave him a law and expected him to govern according to that law. Once man had the law it was up to him to willing submit to God and obey His instructions. God did not set angels around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to keep man from eating of the forbidden fruit, nor did He construct a fence to keep him away. Self-government was the primary means by which man was expected to govern. When man refuses to be self-governed, he is opting rather to be a slave. This sums up the whole history of mankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden to this very day.
In the Prophet Samuel’s day, Israel wanted a king like the other nations. They wanted to be free of personal responsibility and were willing to hand it over to a king. Samuel warned them of the consequences. He said they would have to pay taxes, their sons would be placed in military service, their daughters would be his maids and their servants would be his servants. The king would take their land and they would all work for him. Even though the cost was high, Israel still wanted to be ruled rather than exercise self-control.
What brought Israel to make such a decision was the prevalent behavior of “every man doing what was right in his own eyes”. (Judges 21:25) In this anarchy of attitudes, the people thought the only solution was to have a king. But self-government is not doing your own thing. It is being personally accountable to God for our actions and attitudes. No matter what our state in society, all we do must be done “unto Christ”. Self-government is willingly submitting to and obeying the Word of God. It is taking responsibility to rule over one’s mind, emotions and will. Proverbs 25:28 says: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a by-product of being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is adhering to the inner law that God placed in our hearts. Self-control is the ruling over our passions, tongue, appetites and thoughts. It is exercising the will to say no to sin and yes to God. Without self-government, there is only slavery to the impulses of the sinful nature. No one can legislate self-control. It is up to the individual. In fact, the problems in society are a result of people not governing themselves. It is not due to a lack of police or the need for more stringent laws. Social problems are individuals’ problems.
To cultivate self-control, one must see his life as his calling. Everything we say, think and do are to bring glory to God. When you see your life divided up into compartments, then you will excuse your self-indulgences as necessary for relaxing and detoxing. You will create your “own space” where you can pamper yourself to the detriment of those around you and the responsibilities you have. The more you concentrate on self-realization, the bigger your “own space” becomes and the less love you have for others. Your identity is then transferred from who you are to what you do. Love for God and others becomes secondary to one’s self-preservation and self-actualization. This is the root of the problem of man. To be free of this selfish mindset one must love God and others just as much as he is trying to love himself. Love is the motivation one needs for self-control.
Scriptures to meditate on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18; Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 6:5-9