Self-Destruction

Isaiah 19:1
“The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.”

Oftentimes, it is not what others do to you that destroys you, but it is what you do that destroys yourself. Egypt wasn’t destroyed because of what other countries did to them; rather, they were destroyed because of the actions they chose to perform. Egypt self-destructed when they chose to do things against the LORD.

Many believers have found themselves self-destructing because of their actions. Yes, those who have self-destructed have cast their blame on the church, a pastor, or a fellow believer, but the reality is that they destroyed themselves and used others as their excuse for their destruction. You can’t perform destructive actions and not expect to be destroyed. Self-destruction could be avoided if a person chooses not to perform self-destructive actions. Let me point out several self-destructive actions people do.

First, people self-destruct when they place something before God. Egypt’s first mistake was that they allowed idols in their land instead of serving the LORD. Many believers are guilty of having idols in their lives. No, these idols are not made of wood or stones, but they are jobs, careers, sports and hobbies that they have placed before God. Anything that becomes more important to you than God is an idol. Anything that has preeminence over God’s will for your life is an idol. You have taken a big step towards self-destruction when you place anything before God.

Second, people self-destruct when they are busy finding faults in others instead of correcting their own faults. Egypt started fighting with itself instead of fixing their problems. It is always easy to find fault in others, but pointing out another’s faults is not going to help you to fix your issues that are hindering you from serving the LORD the way you should serve Him. Instead of pointing out the flaws in others, you would be wise to fix your own issues.

Third, people self-destruct when they get a bad spirit. Egypt’s spirit failed in main part because they were doing wrong and they knew it. Your spirit often tells a lot about your relationship with the LORD. A bad spirit only reveals that your spirit is not in stride with the Holy Spirit. If you would get your spirit right with God, you would find it would be easier to have a right spirit with others.

Fourth, people self-destruct when they forsake their daily time with God in His Word. Verse 5 says that the waters failed in Egypt. Water in the Scriptures is a type of God’s Word. When you fail to spend time with God in His Word, you are headed towards self-destruction. You can only go so long in your Christian walk without being nourished from God’s Word. If you want to stay healthy spiritually, you are going to have to get your spiritual nourishment from God’s Word.

Fifth, people self-destruct when they stop trying to reach the lost. When is the last time you tried to win someone to Christ? Soul winning has a way of keeping the spark of revival alive in the heart of the believer. When you stop soul winning, you will find plenty of excuses on which to blame your spiritual laziness and lack of vision. My friend, one of the easiest ways to keep yourself from self-destruction is to keep going after the souls of men.

Author: Allen Domelle