Christian Living

---

Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday July 29, 2008

Sunday past I spoke with the gathered saints on the subject of "Self." I pitched the subject under the guise of "The Biggest False God," assuming folks would assume I was talking about some monkey god in a remote section of the world, or perhaps a Methodist or Presbyterian version. Not to be. I really was talking about the biggest false god on earth who masquerades under the titles, of Me, Myself and I.

Webster’s Unabridged Online Dictionary notes 548 entries on the word "self."

Many ordinary and not so ordinary men and women have commented on the importance of understanding and controlling the self. Jesus talked about it often as do most of the biblical writers.

Tsar Peter The Great, was the man responsible for Westernizing Russia and expanding the Russias into a 3 billion acre empire. To say that Tsar Peter was a brutal man is a serious understatement. On his deathbed Tsar Peter said:

"I have conquered an empire, but I have been unable to conquer myself."

Your daily newscast or newspaper will attest to the fact that Americans are riding toboggan down a very slippery slope, or as some are want to say, "We are taking a hand basket trip to hell and a near total lack of self control is at the helm." Solomon, the profitable peacetime King of Israel understood the importance of self control, though I'm certain he learned some of this through the torment of 300 wives and 700 hundred concubines; can you fellows even imagine 1000 pair of pantyhose hanging all over the bathroom to dry? It is said that it took him three weeks to kiss the wives goodnight! Solomon stated:

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Proverbs 16:32

Tsar Peter The Great came to understand this truth too late, his family life was a total shambles, peace of mind and heart eluded him, and he suffered severe physical malady's common to those who throw self control to the wind. Peter was not the last man to chase an ever growing self into a pit of torment and loss due to insatiable ambition, to gain the end no matter the cost. The bottom line for a man like Peter The Great or a young boy from the ghetto who uses the methods of Peter to murder and gain a $200 pair of Nikes is the same, the loss of personal value, life having been lived in only one dimension, the dimension of self gratification at the expense of all things good and lasting. I use two extremes to show that all in the middle are also subject to come to grips with the self, and surrender this destructive human fallen god like part to the power of Christ for His control by the Spirit and the Word.

Jesus asked one of life’s most challenging questions in Matthew 16:26:

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE