Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. – Titus 2:6

While I was working as a personal assistant to a prosecutor a few years ago, we encountered a case where a bus conductor was charged with murder. He had a heated argument with a passenger, which ended with him pushing the passenger off a small cliff, resulting in the passenger’s death. A murder charge had no bail in my country, and he commuted from jail everytime to the court. In one of those hearings I thought to myself, had the conductor exercised a little self-control over his temper, I am sure he wouldn’t be behind bars.

Proverbs 25:28 tells us that a person without self control is like a city with broken down walls. In the days of Jesus and centuries before Him, walls were built around cities to serve as protection and fortitude from invaders and enemy attacks. When the walls were not properly managed and they got dilapidated, it became easier for invaders and enemies to attack the cities. Likewise, a person without self control is like a city with broken down walls, he is exposed and vulnerable to every vice and plot set up against him by the devil. In our verse for today, Apostle Paul is charging Titus to encourage the young men in the church to be self-controlled, by extension, he is charging us all too. Due to a lack of self-control so many young women have mothered children when they were not ready, a lot more people are behind bars and a lot have thrown away their destinies.

Let us take heed to this call and do well to be self-controlled in all we do, at all times. I pray that the Lord will give us dominion over the weaknesses that expose us to the schemes of the enemy, that we will be strong-willed and overcome the temptation to take the bait, in Jesus name, Amen.