Restraint

There are so many times when I want to say what is on my mind. There have been other times when I want to strike back at someone who’s brought harm to me. I’ve picked up some wisdom from some great mentors over the years and they’ve taught me what it means to have great restraint. I believe there is a difference in reaction and response. Reaction is usually negative, unedited, unhealthy and unwise.  Response, on the other hand, is mostly positive, measured, carefully thought out and measured.

I came across part of King David’s journey as he is fleeing the coup of his son Absalom. David, his family and a few men are fleeing Israel to avoid a bloodbath in Jerusalem. I’m not privy to all the information David had that led him to the decision to leave the capitol to his son. As he and his entourage are heading out of town, an incident happens that shows more of David’s character. Check this out….

⁵ As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. ⁶ He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. ⁷ “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. ⁸ “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”

⁹ “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”

¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. ¹² And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” ¹³ So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David. (2 Samuel 16:5-9, 11-13 NLT)

That one line… “so David and his men continued down the road” screams out restraint to me. I’m not sure I could have had the restraint that David had. I think restraint comes David’s close walk with God. I think restraint comes from great patience on the part of David. I think the words of this man hurt him, but he didn’t “take the bait” and strike out with words or actions of his own. I think restraint also comes from a place of knowing who I am and Whose I am.

I want to be known as a person of great restraint. I’m not a pushover or a “doormat” to anyone. I don’t want to give in to a reactionary action.  I want to be a person of measured response. If you’ve known me for any length of time, this is showing growth and maturity on my part. The Lord is working in me as I lean into Him and allow Him to lead me through hard places and “bumpy roads”.  I need His Wisdom and His Counsel to respond properly rather than to react irrationally.  I want to show great patience and restraint in order to keep all my response options open and available to me.

Pressing On!

Dwayne