A Hard Lesson In Control (Focus, Part 2)

A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. (Proverbs 29:11 NKJV)

It's happened again. God forgive me.

Let me just say that my emotions got the best of me today, and once again I knew what it meant to be a fool. I raised my voice in senseless frustration, baseless desperation. My message was for one man, but the whole government office heard it. By God's grace I finally got a hold of myself, only to find out that I really did not hold my part of the process, as the papers I presented were really not in order. Though I apologized (profusely) to the affected parties, five hours since the incident, I am still stung by my foolishness.

I should know my mother to be straight to the point and uncompromising in her words. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for her well-intended albeit brutal interjections when I called her, intending to 'unload', and seeking encouragement. I took her words as adding insult to injury, and my reaction just sealed my fate - I wronged a right to a wrong by reacting wrong to my mom's right. In other words I lay foolishness upon foolishness because of my lack of restraint, my lack of self control.

It isn't enough for us to stay on the path of the straight and narrow when we focus on The Lord in our daily dealing. True, we should not falter by making unnecessary 'stopovers' to the left or the right. We should not be easily distracted, but we should also restrain ourselves from losing control.

Yes, it is true that in this fallen world we will undoubtedly make mistakes, but right now I believe that if we focus on avoiding what we shouldn't be we would end up doing more mistakes than we would expect, much less tolerate.

Focus requires concentration, and control. James tells us of how we could establish control out of the peace that comes from The Lord in Philippians 4:8-9:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

I now know why I wrote that last blog regarding mistakes. Thank God, for indeed, He causes all things to happen for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good. Believe it.