ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 2, 2026
For those of you who can actually get four servings out of a pint of ice cream, we applaud you. In fact, we honor and envy your restraint, while at the same time wondering what sort of mastery of willpower has brought you to such an astonishing ability. I’m sure there are some who are reading this who are confused, for they get four or even five servings out of every pint of ice cream. Four is great self-discipline, but five is just crazy talk.
The Apostle Paul included self-control among his Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), though Jesus, as compared to John the Baptist, was referred to as someone who overindulged (Luke 7:34), even calling him a drunkard. And he did change a lot of water into wine. In Proverbs 25:28, we read, “A person without self-control is like a breached city, one with no walls.” I’m still trying to fully experience the metaphor, but it clearly suggests a lack of self-control leaves us dangerously open.
In the end, most of us can agree there are areas of our lives where a bit more self-control would be helpful, and maybe for you, there is a specific area in your life that a lack of self-control leaves you in a rather dangerous predicament. Though despite the Bible speaking to the importance of self-control in most circumstances, it does not really provide us with tools on how to gain more self-control. There is no question that self-awareness helps, but in my limited reading, it appears that community and accountability are an essential part of the work. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
As we work to have lives that produce the Fruit of the Spirit, including self-control, I invite you, Gentle and Encouraging God, to work within me as friends and accountability partners work on some of my rough and not-so-disciplined edges. Amen.
