Good question.

My answer or, more importantly, God’s answer is yes.

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23(NLT) says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” [emphasis mine]

Easier read than done.

I struggle with it. I struggle with my eating habits and my scheduling habits. I make a “mean” schedule, but I fail to exhibit self-control in actually following it. I like to read. A lot. I’m like on book 40 for this year, already. Sadly, my desire to read takes over at times and I avoid doing things I like less–can anyone say, cooking–or that require more brain power–like writing this blog. 😀

Here are some other Scripture to emphasize the need for self-control. *NLT, all emphasis mine*

• Prov. 5:23, “He will die for lack of self–control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.”
• Prov. 25:28, “A person without self–control is like a city with broken-down walls.”
• 1 Peter 1:5-9, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”

Here are some quotes about self-control and discipline.

• Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. -Jim Rohn

• By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character. -Grenville Kleiser

• Self-control is one mark of a mature person; it applies to control of language, physical treatment of others, and the appetites of the body. -Joseph B. Wirthlin

• I have learned that I really do have discipline, self-control, and patience. But they were given to me as a seed, and it’s up to me to choose to develop them. -Joyce Meyer

The closer we get to the Spirit, to God, the easier self-control becomes. Or at least that’s my theory.

I hadn’t planned on writing another devotion this month, though the first one was really just to make you think. Of course, this one is too.

Think about the things you do where you lack self control. For me, there are many–eating, reading, keeping to my schedule. BUT NOW, think about the things you do where you exhibit self-control–keeping your temper while driving or shopping or with your family, reading your Bible and having a quiet time, loving your family (even when they drive you batty).

There are so many areas where I DO practice self-control, but the devil wants to only remind me of what I fail at doing versus where I’m succeeding. It’s always good to keep an eye on our downfalls, but we have to also glance back to see how far we’ve grown, how much we’ve matured.

I pray my blog blesses you today, whatever today may bring, on whatever day you read this.