Self-control is the discipline of delaying impulse or gratification for a greater purpose or cause. When we exercise self-control, we are saying "no" for the sake of a bigger and better "yes." We are trading something in the here and now for something greater in the future.
We teach our children self-control when we make them eat their vegetables before dessert. We implore our teens to practice self-control for several years after puberty in order to honor marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Yet the greatest reason believers practice self-control is because we choose Christ over the world (Mark 8:36-37).
Our desires tempt us every day. The Bible says, "For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world" 1 John 2:16
In order to develop self-control, we must first be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses. Each one of us is different. Some of us are tempted by overeating, others by greed or gossip. By being aware of what tempts us, we can take our struggles to God. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, and we have self-control when we "keep in step" with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). He empowers us to overcome temptation.
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