Rule Your Spirit
By Pastor Jeffrey Smith
The Bibles teaches an important lesson in Proverbs 25:28 ( NKJV), “ Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” A person who lacks self-control over his spirit is like a damaged city with no protection, vulnerable to outside forces. How do we define spirit in this scripture? Spirit is “our breath or life force in our being”. Our spirit is also our attitude and mindset. It is the atmosphere that we set when we enter or leave a room. Our goal is to influence the world around us with the spirit of Jesus.
Statistically, there are large numbers of people who have zero control over their own spirit. As a result, they have given the keys of their life over to other people or outside forces. They will yell, kick, scream and react impulsively because “someone” made them so angry. Sadly, we live in a culture of blame. Our society has lost grasp of the biblical concept of “personal responsibility”. We live in a culture that likes to point the finger at everyone else so we can take as little personal responsibility as possible for our actions or problems. Contrary to the norms of society, we are called govern and rule our spirits.
The Bible warns us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) One day we will stand before the throne of God alone. Jesus will ask you give an account for your decisions in your life. We will not have the opportunity to blame our actions on other people.
Many of us experienced tremendous injustices, but we are still responsible for the choices we make in our lifetime. Please don’t use your past as an excuse to be mean to people or hurt others. You must learn to rule your spirit, and live in the freedom and grace that Jesus has given you. You have the choice to use your hurts as part of your future, or you can ultimately leave them in the past. God has called you to wholeness. We must take personal responsibility and work through any pain or faulty mindsets that require healing. Self-government is essential for emotional health and spiritual maturity. As we allow God to transform our hearts, the atmosphere we set in the world around us will change for the better.
