Proverbs 25:28
A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Self-control is like the immune system. People who despise self-control think that they are breaking free. In reality, they are breaking down. Ignore self-control and the big laws God has given in the Ten Commandments and you don't get freedom. You don't even get anarchy. You get the small laws. You have to micromanage a hundred petty problems and put out a thousand little fires created by your failure to take the trouble to do the right thing in the first place. And the busier you are with that, the less time you have to deal with the reality of a dangerous world in which there really are people (and demons) who wish you ill. When your guard is down such creatures are more than happy to exploit your weakness, as America discovered September 11, 2001. The same is true in our individual lives. Abandon self-control and you will soon be controlled by someone or something else. Control yourself and you will not be "repressed" — you will be free.
By Mark Shea
Mark P. Shea is a Catholic author, blogger, and speaker.
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