Proverbs 16:32
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
There have been many conquerors throughout history, but the greatest conqueror lies within you. God says that the person who “ruleth his spirit”
is better than the general who can conquer a city. Ruling your spirit
will be the greatest victory you will win because there are many things
that affect it. If you learn to conquer your spirit, you will learn to
conquer your day. I find there are four things you must learn about your
spirit if you want to rule it.
First, learn what affects your spirit. The greatest study you can
embark upon is the study of your spirit. You need to know what affects
your spirit. For instance, I know that my spirit can only handle so much
news coverage. I also know what type of news coverage will affect my
spirit. Instead of letting the outside elements of life affect me, I
have learned to get my news in a controlled manner so that it doesn't
affect my spirit. I don't know what affects your spirit, but you better
learn what causes you to get angry or become short with people so that
you can control its influence on your spirit.
Second, learn who affects your spirit. This can go either way. You
must learn who helps to lift your spirit when you are around them and
who depresses or grieves it when you are with them. You are going to
have to learn to limit your time with those people who drag your spirit
down. This may sound a little petty, but you represent the LORD
throughout the day, and you cannot allow an individual to affect your
spirit to the point where you can't be a help to others. On the other
hand, you need to learn to spend more time with those who tend to lift
your spirit, especially in times when you are struggling. Spending time
with spirit-lifters will put a charge on your outlook for the day.
Third, learn when your spirit is affected. There are times when
your spirit is going to be a bit more on edge than others times. For
instance, when you are tired, you will find that your spirit will often
be a bit short with people. Likewise, when you are carrying a heavy
load, you may find that your spirit is shorter with people than at other
times. Let me encourage you to learn when those times are when your
spirit is affected and learn to react slower during those times so that
you don't ruin relationships or your testimony.
Fourth, learn where your spirit needs improvement. Nobody is
perfect, and your spirit is one of those areas where you are going to
have to find where it needs improvement, and work on it. Don't settle
for your spirit ruling you. Determine to get control of those areas
where your spirit needs improvement.
The best way to improve your spirit is never to allow outside
factors to determine your spirit. You will never be in control of your
spirit if you allow outside things to dictate your spirit. You can't
control who is going to say negative things to you, nor can you control
what is going to happen; however, you can control what is going on
inside of you, and that is how you control your spirit. If you
continually yield to the Holy Spirit of God, you will find that He can
help you control your spirit. You will find your spirit to be more at
peace when you spend time in the Scriptures daily. Moreover, you will
find your spirit will tend to be on topside if you unload on God through
prayer. By doing these four things, you can rule your spirit.