The foundational government in this world is self-government. This is where all politics begin. Either you will have families, churches, and nations governed by people who govern themselves well and therefore those governments will be blessed, or else you will have those governments filled with traitors and fools and tyrants.
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” (Prov. 25:28). And governments filled with people who are the equivalent of a broken-down city tend to build just as they are. They are broken down cities, so they are city-destroyers.
Therefore, if Christians expect there to be wise and good leaders in the governments around them, they must be at the forefront of learning and teaching self-government. What is self-government? It is self-control, self-discipline. It is ruling over your words, thoughts, actions, emotions, bodies, and appetites with wisdom.
Are you appalled at government overspending? Do you rule your bank account well? Are you appalled at the anarchy of lusts and appetites? Do you rule your emotions well? Do hate cancel culture and the nanny state? Are you ruling your time and energy well? Are you working hard like a king? Fools spout whatever comes to their mind, but the wise consider what they will say, what they will write.
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Prov. 16:32). What do we need to make real progress in building the Kingdom? What do we need to have true and effective cultural influence? We need self-government, self-control. It’s better than all the votes in congress, better than winning the White House, and better than all the wealth and influence of Google and Apple and Amazon. “Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city” (Eccl. 7:29).
How does a man or a woman or child get this power? In order to rule yourself with wisdom, you must be ruled by Wisdom. And that means you must be a slave of Christ. Christ must be your Master, your Lord. His Word must command all of your time, all of your resources, all of your thoughts, words, and actions. So what will it be? Wisdom and power in submission to Christ? Or a broken-down city and more tyranny and chaos and confusion?
Photo by Kai Wenzel on Unsplash
ALEXANDER SCHULMAN says
That was beautiful. It was with that spirit, the Holy Spirit, that guided our founding fathers in creating the framework that allowed the United States to survive, to become a free, strong, and prosperous nation.
For years now, an evil spirit began destroying our nation. Our people had become numb to violating the Ten Commandments. It began with the murdering of the unborn because having a child was inconvenient. Once murdering the innocent became “a right” our nation had turned itself against God.
Ed McBride says
I’m glad I found this post. I love all things and studies where Christ is the center and all answers come from his word. I love what I have seen here so far.
Thanks
TwoSticks2One says
Glory be to God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Read your blog, sometimes we hear things when we need to…