2 Hours of Reading, a City Without Walls and a Spirit of Self-Control

My name is Jaquelle, and I have a problem. I read too much. No, I'm not kidding. In the past, I was reading four or five hours a day, just pleasure reading. That is a problem. Now it may not seem like it on the surface, as I was reading edifying books. But it is. Why? Because 1) I wasn't getting much done, besides reading, 2) I wasn't getting any exercise, 3) I was spending way less time with my family, and 4) I was making reading a priority over other important things. So the solution Mom and I came up with? I'm allowed two hours of pleasure reading a day. Period. The purpose is to help me develop self-control in this area that I clearly struggle with. And I really want self-control, in this area and in every area of my life. Why?

"A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."  (Proverbs 25:28) 

Wow. If there's one thing I don't want to be, it's like a city "broken into and left without walls." Back in biblical times, walls were a city's main protection. If their walls were knocked down, they were basically left defenseless. Anybody could come in and destroy them. They were extremely susceptible to many forms of danger. That's what I'm like if I can't demonstrate self-control. A defenseless, susceptible city.

So, as I work on cultivating a spirit of self-control, 2 Timothy 1:7 comes to mind. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." If that's not a reason to develop self-control in all areas of our life, I don't know what is.