“I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).

How good are you at self-discipline? The chances are that you are reading this article on a mobile device, and mobile devices may discourage self-discipline more than anything else in our world. Experts tell us that incessant scrolling turns us into dopamine junkies, feeding habits that result in idleness and procrastination.

But a little reflection tells us that we can’t blame our phones—or any other physical items in the world—for our lack of self-discipline. The blame lies squarely with ourselves; the clue is in the very word self-discipline, is it not?

The term self-discipline does not appear in modern English versions of the Bible, but a very closely related one, self-control, certainly does. Self-control, the rule of self, is a godly characteristic; indeed, it is a godlike characteristic. When God set about creating the heavens and the earth, He worked according to a set purpose and within a set time frame (Gen. 1). He did not go about His work haphazardly, unsure what He might be doing from one day to the next, making it up as He went along. And right now, He continues working in the same vein (John 5:17).

God is a God of order, not of disorder (1 Cor. 14:33). Spontaneity is often highly valued in our culture, and there is surely a right place for it, but it can easily degenerate into rash impulsivity, which is the complete opposite of self-control. So, when you or I exercise self-control, we imitate our Creator. In fact, although it may seem paradoxical, we can say that the most self-controlled person is the most God-controlled person.

There are three passages in the New Testament that especially highlight the importance of self-control.

1.1 Corinthians 9:24–27

The first is 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. Here Paul likens the Christian life to running a marathon and to a boxing match. He describes the self-control that all athletes must exercise as they run. Since many of us live in a sport-obsessed society, we understand that top athletes must follow a strict regimen of diet, exercise, training, and sleep, not only on the day they are running, but each and every day.

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