Do You Have a Temper?

Proverbs 25

We see in this chapter that Solomon wrote these proverbs but it was King Hezekiah who copied them so that we could have them in writing. King Hezekiah ruled 250 years after Solomon.

In this proverb I would like to look at the last verse of the chapter, verse 28 which says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken and left without walls.”

Self-Control

We may hear and talk about self-control, which can be defined as controlling or restraining one self. The more I try to control myself, the harder it actually is. We are told to have self control in different areas of our lives. One can be anger and controlling our temper. I will be honest, I have a temper and I do not like it. Sometimes I wonder how my temper can get the best of me and actually starts to control me. It controls what comes out of my mouth, my attitude, my thoughts, and my day. When I was younger, I would blow up at the smallest things. As I have grown in the Lord and asked him to take control of my life, I still have a temper but that temper does not blow up at the small things like it used to. I need to seek the Lord all the time because my temper is still there.

As the proverb says, “A man without self control is like a city broken and left without walls.” I do not want to be like a vulnerable city that is defenseless. As James tells us in 1:19-Be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger. It seems that we can let anger get the best of us. I always need to be aware of my weaknesses and one is my temper. How we can control our temper is by making sure that we are protecting ourselves with the armor of the Lord. Ephesians 6:14-18 says, “Stand therefore having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  Guard yourself in the Spirit and know your weaknesses, Satan will attack those areas and you need to be ready all the time. I thank the Lord that I am new creation in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17). I need to have Christ control all of me and even the things that are hard for me to let go of. How is your temper?