Welcome to Outlaw Faith—where this week, we’re looking at the kind of government that actually matters most: the one inside your own skull.
Everybody loves to talk about fixing America, but nobody wants to talk about fixing themselves. Why? Because fixing America is easier—you just yell at the TV and share angry memes. Fixing yourself? That requires actual work.
But here’s the brutal truth the Founders understood:
If men can’t govern themselves, freedom doesn’t work.
Self-government isn’t just about voting—it’s about being the kind of man who doesn’t need a leash. If you can’t rule your own emotions, your own habits, or your own responsibilities, then what are you doing crying about the government? You are living proof that people need more of it.
That’s not me saying it—that’s straight from the Founders.
The Founders’ Expectation: Be a Man Who Can Handle Freedom
John Adams:
“Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private virtue, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.”
Translation: If people can’t control themselves, the government will have to.
George Washington:
“A good moral character is the first essential in a man… It is therefore highly important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous.”
Translation: If you’re a degenerate but can quote Thomas Jefferson, you’re still a degenerate.
The Real Reason America’s Falling Apart
Here’s the cold, hard reality nobody likes to say out loud:
America isn’t falling apart because of elections. It’s falling apart because of men who can’t govern themselves.
Think about it:
- How can we have small government when people can’t even show up to work on time?
- How can we defend freedom when men melt down over mean words on the internet?
- How can we be a strong nation when half of us can’t put down our phones for more than 30 seconds?
The government keeps growing because people keep getting weaker. You can scream about tyranny all you want, but if you can’t control your impulses, you’re just outsourcing your personal responsibility to a bigger, badder babysitter.
And the Founders knew this would happen.
The Cycle: How Weakness Leads to Tyranny
The pattern is always the same:
✅ Strong men govern themselves → Government stays small.
❌ Weak men need to be controlled → Government gets bigger.
❌ Bigger government removes responsibility → Men get even weaker.
❌ Weak men cry for even more government.
💀 Freedom dies.
Congratulations, we’re right between steps 3 and 4 right now.
Self-Government in 2025: How Are We Doing?
Let’s check in on how well we’re governing ourselves today:
- Finances: 60% of Americans can’t cover a $1,000 emergency.
- Discipline: 75% of men are overweight, and our grandfathers would laugh at our idea of “hard work.”
- Impulse control: The average person checks their phone 144 times a day. (That’s not a joke—144.)
- Mental toughness: College students need therapy dogs and safe spaces because words are scary.
Meanwhile, the Founders were fighting the British with lead balls and handwritten letters.
Tell me again how we’re ready for freedom?
The Bible Saw This Coming
The Founders didn’t just make this up—they got it from Scripture.
- Proverbs 25:28 — “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Translation: If you can’t govern yourself, you’re an open target.)
- Galatians 5:23 — “The fruit of the Spirit is… self-control.” (Translation: If you’re walking with God, you should have discipline—not just feelings.)
- 1 Timothy 3:5 — “If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (Translation: Lead yourself first.)
The Outlaw Faith Challenge: Start With You
Want freedom? Start where the Founders did—by ruling yourself first.
This week, I challenge you:
✅ Wake up on time—no snooze button.
✅ Put your phone down for an hour—see if the world keeps turning.
✅ Make a decision and stick with it—don’t flake.
✅ Own your mistakes—no excuses, no blaming.
✅ Act like a free man, not a spoiled child.
The truth is freedom isn’t taken—it’s surrendered. And if we don’t reclaim self-government, we can forget about keeping the rest.
Tomorrow: Biblical Self-Control — The Original Leadership Requirement.
