To explain certain areas of sanctification, my husband uses what he calls the “buffet” principle. There are two ways to avoid gluttony at the midnight buffet. One is to restrain your flesh and eat a reasonable amount. If retraint at the dessert table is unlikely, then use restraint by not going to the buffet. While we should all be moving toward the kind of maturity that allows us to control our flesh in any situation, a wise man will consider his weaknesses and avoid some situations altogether. Here’s a few examples:
If I cannot discuss a pet topic of controversy without becoming argumentative, then I should not speak of it at all.
If I cannot speak of a situation without slandering someone, then I should not talk about it.
If I cannot go to the mall without becoming covetous, then I should stop going.
The goal is not to avoid the mall forever, but to learn to enjoy the mall in contentment. But in the meantime, I can just shop at Wal-Mart and avoid the Golden Corral.
