Proverbs 16.32
“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
Proverbs 25.28
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
Life is full of moments of impulse. The Lord calls us to recognize the temptation of those moments and respond by pressing pause, getting our mind right, and acting with wisdom. We must not allow our “R Factor” to be hijacked by impulsive emotion.
Self-control is the core discipline necessary for consistently navigating life with wisdom. Proverbs 16.32 quoted above describes self-control as “ruling your spirit.” This is what allows us to resist the temptation to act impetuously and recklessly in reaction to our emotions. Indeed, the proverb says the person who is slow to anger has an inner strength that surpasses those with physical strength.
The proverb also acknowledges that ruling your spirit is challenging and difficult, indicating that “he who rules his spirit is mightier than he who takes a city.”
Self-control is at the heart of managing your R Factor with intentionality, purpose, and wisdom. When you fail to exercise self-control, you are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy and the impulses of your old nature. As it says in Proverbs 25.28 quoted above, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
An impulse to act is part of every emotion. The root of the English word “emotion” is a Latin word that means “to move.” Consider the impulse to act that is part of each of the big four emotions:
- Anger is an impulse is to move against.
- Affection is an impulse is to move toward.
- Fear is an impulse is to move away.
- Sadness is an impulse to not move … just be still and be sad.
Whether we should act on the impulse of an emotion depends on the situation. What we must not do is simply react without thinking. That is the message of the other proverb quoted above: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
An emotional reaction is rarely the most effective response. Emotions can be reckless, and they do not always see things clearly. Emotions often tempt you to overreact to situations you are facing. It is for this reason the Lord calls you to “rule your spirit.”
It is also why self-control is a consistent theme throughout scripture. Once again: life is full of moments of impulse. The Lord calls us to recognize the temptation of those moments and respond by pressing pause, getting our mind right, and acting with wisdom. We must rule our spirit. We must not allow our “R Factor” to be hijacked by impulsive emotion.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)
Trust God, do the work, and rule your spirit.
