Write, A Person who has Self-control will Fortify his City Walls
I live in a city called Derbyshire. Its walls are fortified now but once upon a time they were not. They were broken through, then partially built again with children’s building blocks allowing them to be broken through again. Eventually there was not one stone on top of the other holding the walls in place. Everyone gained access! There were people coming in to plunder my possessions and raid my safe house. I even went out and gave away my possessions along with the contents of my safe house. Since I also wasn’t living up to my God given potential I was giving myself away. My walls were gone leaving my kingdom vulnerable. This was the beginning of my quest to improve my life skills to rebuild my walls.
I am not alone. I heard tell stories about bankruptcy and repossessions, credit card debt and homelessness. There are plenty of walls broken through today! It is the intent of this world to break through walls plundering your provision to build their walls. There are folks who want what you have and some will not be satisfied until they also have you. It does not have to be this way for anyone! Just as I told you, my walls are fortified now. I had to learn the hard way I cannot be all to everyone nor can I give everything away and build a fortified city for Elohim.
How is a wall built and fortified? It is done with self-control. Every stone laid is a stone laid with each temptation denied, each urge repressed, each commandment obeyed and each sin repented. I take seriously every verse in the Scriptures advising me to get control especially Proverbs 25:28. Self-control is listed last in the fruits of the Spirit because it takes every single previous fruit before it to gain control and fortify our walls. I have created an acrostic using WALLS to help us build our walls and over time fortify them with our unwavering control. Whenever you are asked to be invaded put up your WALLS to protect yourself.
Wait before you Part ways with your Current Stone!
Our stone could be anything from our money to our time. We already have this stone in our possession so let us appreciate its current value. It is ours to give or to keep. If we learn how to say ‘wait’ it will not kill us or anyone else to actually wait. People don’t like to wait so they will want us to hurry but we are going to wait. Rash decisions break down stones more than it builds them. The wisdom gained while waiting will bring us closer to God and a fortified city. Waiting allows us the time to analyze the stone.
Analyze the Purchase of this Stone!
The reason for waiting is to analyze your stone options. This step should never be foregone or our walls will never become fortified. Asking questions of our decision gets us closer to wisdom about decision-making. Why do I want this stone? Will this stone build my wall or tear it down? Will the wall remain fortified with this stone in place or will an undesirable person be given access? If we do not know the answers to these questions we are best to pass on this stone until we are wiser. Analysis needs answers to make a decision either to love it or leave it.
Love the Stone or Leave the Stone!
Waiting to do an Analysis results in a decision based on credible information. We have asked the hard questions and can come to a wise decision. We are either going to love the stone and purchase it or we are going to lose the stone and move on. Crucial to this decision is knowing this verse Matthew 5:37 because anything other than yes or no is from the evil one and will send us right back to where we started with all the same heartache and then some. Us women come by this hard but we still need to stand by this. The consequence of wavering on our decisions is what tore down our walls in the first place. Do not let this happen again! Analyze correctly then decide erecting a wall around that decision. Wait while analyzing for a wise decision will help us learn from our previous mistakes.
Learn the Lesson for Future Stones!
We are not perfect and will make bad decisions even after we analyze it and find it to be sound. The one important lesson we will learn is reasoning skills. Elohim tells us to come and reason with Him so we will begin to see His ways are the best ways. The lesson we learn is the Spirit will guide us into all righteousness. He is guiding us to make right decisions based on the future and today. Each of our decisions will either tear down the stones or build up the stones. Our walls depend on us learning the lessons built into our mistakes and our successes. Learning lessons from these will bring us into a state of control.
Self-Control Constructs our Stones into a Fortified Wall!
Building a fortified wall takes self-control and the result can only come from walking in the Spirit. Prior to the Fruits of the Spirit Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit and we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Self-control is the very essence of walking in the Spirit because it is the opposite of fulfilling the flesh. Our walls are built by the knowledge of our exact person in Christ and what He wants us to do to fulfill our predestined life for Him. Self-control in our daily living fortifies us.
The Derbyshire fortified wall has taken me many years to construct and I am fully aware it will take no time at all to tear it all down unless I protect it. I do not want you to be ignorant about the work it takes to build your own wall and the diligence it takes to protect it. There will be many years, many failures to overcome, many decision that seemingly break your heart, many kicks at the wall and many stones tumbling down but it can be done. You can write on your wall, a person who has self-control will fortify his city walls, rather than, Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
