Ungovernable

Proverbs 22:5
“Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.”

Every day you come across warnings from things that govern what you are doing. The speed limit sign is a governor that is warning you to keep the speed limit or suffer the consequences. The warning light on a car is a governor that is telling you to check something in your engine before damage occurs. These warnings are not trying to hurt you; rather, they are trying to keep you from something that will cost you or damage your vehicle.

The verse above says, “Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward…” The word “froward” means “ungovernable.” The “thorns” that God is talking about are the annoyances people have to live with because of something they did in their life. The “snares” are the pitfalls that those who live an ungovernable life will experience. In other words, those who live an ungovernable life will find life to be more difficult than if they had just allowed something to govern their actions and decisions.

Let me ask you a couple of questions. First, can anyone tell you, “No?” Do you listen when someone tells you that you shouldn’t do something? There needs to be someone in your life to whom you listen and respond to when they tell you not to do something. Those governors in your life are simply your accountability partners who love you enough to tell you not to do something when you are about ready to do something that will either bring damage or regret to your life. You would be very wise to listen to those who love you enough to tell you, “No.”

Second, do you listen to the governors who warn you? Do you listen to the Holy Spirit when He tells you not to do something? If you are saved, the Holy Spirit will prick your heart when you are about to do something that is either sinful or something that you should not do. You had better listen to the Holy Spirit and not live the froward life. Likewise, when authorities give you a warning about something you are about to do, you would be wise to pause what you are doing and consider their warnings. An authority does not warn you because they want to make you miserable; rather, they warn you because they love you and don’t want to see you do something that you will regret.

My friend, the ungovernable life is a life filled with heartache, sorrow and regrets. The person who can never be told not to do something is the person who will one day find out that they didn’t know everything they thought they knew. Let me ask you, does your spirit get angry when someone warns you about something that could be wrong? Do you think you know everything and that everyone just needs to keep their nose out of your business? If you are an ungovernable person, you had better prepare yourself for a hard life.

Let me encourage you to develop a spirit that listens to the warnings of the governors in your life. Always have accountability guards in your life to keep you from doing things that you should not do. When those accountability governors sound their warnings, be the type of person who stops and listens so that you don’t have to live a life with the thorns in your side from not listening. Develop a listening ear and a pliable spirit to the governors that keep you from doing something you shouldn’t do so that you don’t have to live with the regrets and consequences of those hurtful actions.

Author: Allen Domelle