“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” Genesis 25:32 (NIV)
Self-control challenges us to do war with our flesh. Esau sold his birthright as the oldest son to his brother, Jacob, for a bowl of porridge. In Near Eastern culture during biblical times, this was a huge mistake.
“Foolish” you say. I can show you “foolish” that happens in the military much too often – all ranks. Adultery. That qualifies as foolish.
One evening I was called to the ER at Fort Bragg to see a soldier who had his face smashed with an iron, the kind you use with clothes. When I walked in the room I could barely recognize him. He was conscious, but his face was horribly swollen, bloodied and bruised.
How did this happen? This warrior couldn’t resist sleeping with another soldier’s wife. The husband came home and discovered them together in bed. He proceeded to really mess up this guy’s face. Surely, the young soldier learned a lesson the hard way.
Too bad he didn’t exercise self-control in the first place.
The content of this Devotional comes from “Daily Strength for the Battle (You, God’s Word, 5 Minutes): Volume 6 Developing the Leader in You” (2020) and is copyrighted by Scott and Judy McChrystal. Used with permission.
