What killed Billy the Kid?
In December of 1880, near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, Sheriff Pat Garett finally apprehended the notorious Western outlaw, Billy the Kid. He was put in prison, and sentenced to be hanged in May. Just weeks before the scheduled hanging date, he killed two prison guards and escaped. Most assumed he would flee to Mexico, where he would be free to live life without worry of re-capture. But Billy didn’t want to go to Mexico, he wanted to stay near his network of friends and loved ones. He thought he was savvy enough to handle any problem and get out of any situation. And so a few months later, while walking into a friend’s house near his very place of capture, Fort Sumner, Pat Garett was waiting. This time the Sheriff didn’t take any chances and shot Billy dead.
What killed Billy ultimately? You could make a case for a number of factors: Pride, foolishness, lawlessness, but I think the case could also be made for a lack of self-control. Billy had lost control of his own ability to say no to himself. He was governed mainly by his impulses, and trusted that his wits and instincts would get him out of any bind. Proverbs 25:26 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” That kind of person has no clear boundaries, no clear sense of identity. He is easily influenced by his surroundings.
Last week Colby transitioned us back into our series on Proverbs by looking at how we can know God’s will for our future. This week we will look at the topic of “Self-Control” in the book of Proverbs. Self-control is listed as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and it’s a key part of what it means to be walking by the Spirit and growing spiritually. Our burden at Valley View is that each of us would be growing into “Oaks of Righteousness,” growing strong, with deep roots, growing and maturing in Christ each passing year. Proverbs has much to say about the importance of self-control. Valley View is a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church, so we turn to God’s Word to gain ancient wisdom for modern times. May God give us wisdom and favor as we seek to honor Him in the South End of Louisville!