“Your Future Self Will Thank You – Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (A Guide for Sinners, Quitters and Procrastinators)” is a delightful summary of an important topic produced by Drew Dyck of Moody Publishers in 2019.
Dyck writes with humor, self-deprecation and insight as he shares his own hard battles with self-control, drawing on wisdom from ancient sources, the Bible and modern science to enlighten the reader and share valuable information about how to live a better life.
Citing the centuries-old writings of Philo, Dyck was struck by the concept that self-control can be “a foundation for the soul.”
“Self-control isn’t just one good character trait, a nice addition to the pantheon of virtue,” Dyck writes ( p. 15). “It’s foundational. Not because it’s more important than other virtues, but because the others rely upon it…. The theologian Thomas Aquinas called temperance (another word for self-control) a cardinal virtue. He taught that none of the other virtues—including humility, meekness, mercy, and steadfastness—could be developed without it.”
“In one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture, the apostle Paul lists self-control alongside core virtues like love, joy and peace as among the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ (Gal 5:22),” Dyck reports. “We tend to think of self-control as a strictly human enterprise, but Scripture describes self-control as a product of being connected to God. It’s something that grows when your life is rooted in divine reality. In fact, if it’s missing, your faith may be a ruse. No fruit, no root” (p.19).
