RESTRAIN!
I was compelled to check for the meaning of this word in the dictionary! It actually is not my first time of hearing or seeing the word but it struck me so much when I read again, God’s conversation with Samuel (a very young boy) at that particular time.(1 Samuel 3)
God was not pleased that Eli failed to RESTRAIN his sons from the evil they were doing.
The English dictionary defines RESTRAIN as:
“To control or keep in check.To deprive of liberty. To restrict or limit.”
This was the wrong doing of Eli. He failed to restrain! If probably he had done so, his lineage would have been saved. His sons would have turned out better priests but NO he did not!
As individuals, there are certain things we need to RESTRAIN ourselves from doing.
The flesh wants to do as it pleases but we must restrain it. Our thoughts want to run wild atimes but we must restrain them. Our tongues want to run loose occasionally, but we must restrain from talking. The same applies for our desires, appetite, cravings and urges etc.
We must be conscious to restrain otherwise we suffer the negative consequences of our actions and be banned from the goodness of God.
Atimes, also, there are people that we must restrain from doing or saying certain things.(Eli knew about his sons atrocities but he failed to restrain them).
It’s our responsibility to restrain people going off course if we are privileged to know about it. Someone needs your help to restrain him/her rather than support him/her to taking that risky decision, step or action.
A lot is saved and progress made when when RESTRAINT is given a place. Many errors,crashes, scandals, failures,quarels, regrets are avoided when RESTRAINT is given opportunity!
Do not hesitate to control or keep in check; to deprive of liberty, to restrict or limit wherever and whenever necessary! That is RESTRAIN!