A lack of self control

If there was a consistent weakness in the character of David, it seems to be with women.  He just couldn’t seem to stop himself from collecting the beautiful women around him. 

Of course, he didn’t come close to taking it to the extent that his son Solomon would.  But nevertheless, he went well beyond God’s intention that one man should be with one woman. 

God didn’t make Adam and Eve and Mary and Sarah.  He made Adam and Eve.

But people started to depart from that ideal shortly after the fall, and it was a common practice in David’s day, especially among rulers.

This weakness came to a head the day David saw Bathsheba, but it has its roots here.  Even here, you can see some evidence of the negative effects of his weakness just by looking at the names of his sons.

Amnon, his oldest son,  would rape his half-sister Tamar, the daughter of David’s third wife Maacah. 

Absalom, Tamar’s brother, would consequently kill Amnon for this, and would also try to steal his father’s throne. 

Adonijah, the son of David’s fifth wife, later tried to take the throne from his brother Solomon (the son of the aforementioned Bathsheba) whom David had chosen as his successor.

In other words, David’s family was a complete mess, in part because of his lack of self-control when it came to women.

But this is what happens when give into our weaknesses and stray from the plans God has for our lives.  It makes our lives a mess.

For some people, that weakness may be women or men.  For others, it may be gambling, or alcohol, or pornography.  These would be obvious things. 

But it could also be overeating, playing X-box or Wii too much, or overindulging in your other hobbies to the detriment of your family.

Basically, anything taken to an extreme can be harmful to you, to your family, or to the people around you.  And it can make your life a mess.

What about you?  Is there anything controlling your life?  Something you cannot seem to stop doing even though you know it’s causing harm to your life? 

It’s best to deal with it now before it becomes an even bigger monster in your life.  Take it before God. 

It might be a good idea to take it before some close Christian friends and ask for their help, praying for you and keeping accountable. 

But don’t just let these things go unchecked in your life.　　Because in the end, it can make a mess of your life and even destroy the things that you hold dear.