26 Nov Too Much Self!

As we continue our study on living a spirit-directed life, you can view the first three posts in the series here: Self-Law or Spirit Led?, A Self-Controlled, Spirit-Led Life and Self-Control is an Oxymoron.

In the Bible, we see examples of women who did not live Spirit-directed lives because they were not following God.   Their primary goal seemed to be to direct and manage everyone around them to get what they wanted.

In the Old Testament, the story of Jezebel gives us a great picture of an autonomous woman in ancient times.  Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, king of Israel.  She worshiped the gods of Baal.  Jezebel was constantly promoting her own agenda.  We see one instance where she became enraged at Elijah and threatened his life because he killed the prophets of Baal.  (1 Kings 18:40-19:2).  She also had a man named Naboth murdered because he would not sell a vineyard to her husband (1 Kings 21:1016).  Jezebel and her family were killed in a coup because of her scheming over the vineyard (2 Kings 9:22-35).  She was overpowered by rage, jealousy, self-ambition and selfishness.  She manipulated her circumstances to get the outcomes that she desired and it led to her demise.

In the New Testament, we have another example in Herodias, wife of Herod Antipas.  John the Baptist was continually preaching against Antipas because he married Herodias, his half-brother’s first wife; these two brothers were also half-brothers with Herodias’ father, meaning that Herodias married her uncle!  Herodias was infuriated with John the Baptist because he condemned this adulterous and incestuous marriage.  She wanted her husband to do something to shut him up.  Antipas respected John so he put John in prison, likely to protect him from Herodias’ aggressive and self-protecting ways!  Unfortunately, Herodias outsmarted Antipas, and using her daughter Salome, she tricked Antipas into having John beheaded (Mark 6:14-29).  Not only was her marriage sexually immoral, but Herodias was filled with anger, hostility and murderous thoughts.

These two examples of self-promoting and self-protecting women clearly demonstrate behavior that is the opposite of how a woman following God should act.  Jezebel and Herodias were not concerned with demonstrating the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Their actions illustrate the opposite of these characteristics.  They trusted themselves and their own agenda.  By contrast, as godly women, we should be concerned with having the gospel and the Holy Spirit direct our lives; this leads to the manifestation of fruit. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between a non-believer and a believer in this area.

For reflection:

• Do you depend on God to direct you in most situations or do you try to connive and exert your control over everyone and everything around you?
• Where have you seen negative consequences in your life or relationships as a result of your efforts to control?
• When you are seeking control, are you generally doing so to protect or promote yourself?

Lord, it is easy to see in these passages from your Word how out-of-control and selfish these women were.  Why is it so difficult to see in myself?  Help me to hold up the Bible as a mirror so I can truly see myself for who I am and where I need to change.