Read Galatians 5:22-23

Every one of us has gotten angry and lost our temper, only to regret it. Every one of us has allowed our schedule to get so overloaded that, looking back over the week, we must admit to ourselves, if we're honest, we've not stopped to pray even once. Every one of us has eaten too much, even when we swore we wouldn't. 

Who hasn't fought yet again the old battle with lust or greed or materialism or anger or envy?

There is an answer to this daily dilemma, a solution that is easy to identify. There is a secret to holding back. 

"Self-control"...that's the key...that's the answer. 

The best synonym for self-control is "discipline." Self-control means "inner strength."

The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Self-control frees us from slavery. 

Self-control stops bad habits. It checks us. It halts us.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.