Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (ESV)
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
When our son Chase was in high school, he had a dream of playing college soccer. He loved the game and was willing to put in the hours practicing and working to become a better player. But I remember something his coach told him during those years that has stayed with me. He said, “Chase, if you want to be a college athlete, you need to start training like a college athlete.”
When I first heard that, I thought about all the things you would expect. Early morning runs, hours on the soccer field, strength training, conditioning, and working on his speed and footwork. And certainly, all of those things were important. But his coach wanted him to understand that preparing to compete at the college level involved much more than what happened during practice.
He needed to begin thinking about himself as an athlete all the time, not just when he put on his cleats. That meant paying attention to his nutrition and making sure he was fueling his body properly. It meant getting enough sleep, even when he’d rather stay up late. It meant taking stretching, hydration, and recovery seriously. After a hard practice or game, he needed to ice his body and give his muscles time to recover. His coach wanted him to understand that working hard was only part of becoming a great athlete. He also needed to learn how to take care of the body that was doing all that work.
And then there were the things he was supposed to avoid. At the time, we were living in New England, where winter meant snow, and plenty of it. It was a beautiful part of New England life. But Chase’s coach told him that if he was serious about playing soccer in college, he needed to stay off the ski slopes. It wasn’t that skiing was a bad thing. It was that one unfortunate fall could jeopardize the opportunity he was working so hard to pursue.
And Chase did go on to play college soccer.
Paul uses the image of an athlete preparing for a race to help the Corinthians understand something about the Christian life. He writes, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV
The people in Corinth would have understood exactly what Paul was talking about. They knew that athletes didn’t simply show up on the day of competition and hope things went well. They trained with purpose because they knew what they were working toward.
As followers of Jesus, we have been given an extraordinary gift. Through Christ, we belong to God and are welcomed into a relationship we could never earn for ourselves. Practicing self-control is not a requirement we must fulfill to secure God’s affection. It is one way we respond to the grace we’ve already received.
Sometimes when we hear the word self-control, we immediately think about restriction or denying ourselves something we enjoy. But I’ve come to think of self-control as something much more hopeful. It’s the freedom to make choices shaped by what we love most.
For Chase, training wasn’t simply about everything he couldn’t do. It was about the wonderful opportunity he was preparing for. And I wonder if we might think about our spiritual lives in much the same way.
What if we saw our daily choices not as another opportunity to succeed or fail, but as opportunities to grow in our relationship with God? What if self-control wasn’t about proving how disciplined we can be, but about allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our desires so that we increasingly find joy in the things of God?
We are not running a race in which one misstep means we’ve lost our place. We are following a Savior who has already made us his own and who continues to walk with us as we grow.
Paul reminds us that athletes train for a crown that will eventually fade, but we are living for something that lasts forever. And what awaits us is not simply a reward for our effort, but the fullness of life with Christ.
Perhaps that’s what makes self-control worth practicing. Not because we have something to prove, but because we have someone worth following.
For Reflection
- How might remembering that you already belong to Christ change the way you approach self-control in your everyday life?
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you that we belong to you through Jesus Christ. Teach us to recognize the freedom that comes from your grace, and help us to welcome the work of your Spirit in our lives. Shape our desires so that the choices we make reflect our growing love for you. Amen.
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Devotionals