Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science

by Drew Dyck

Why can’t I control my anger? Or stop overeating? Or wasting time online?



Why can't I seem to finish my projects? Or make progress in my spiritual life?



Why do I fall for the same stupid temptations over and over again?



When we fail, its easy to make excuses or blame our circumstances. But let’s face the biggest enemy is usually the one staring back at us from the mirror every morning.



We lack self-control.



Self-control isn’t very popular these days. We tend to think of it as boring, confining, the cop that shows up and shuts down the party. But the truth is that people who cultivate this vital virtue lead freer, happier, and more meaningful lives. After all, our bad habits—from the slight to the serious—bring a host of painful consequences. Ultimately, they keep us from becoming the people God created us to be.



Your Future Self Will Thank You is a compassionate and humorous guide to breaking bad habits and growing your willpower. It explores Scripture’s teachings on how to live a disciplined life while offering practical strategies for growth based on the science of self-control. Whether you want to deepen your spiritual life, conquer an addiction, or kick your nail-biting habit, this book will help you get motivated, stay on track, and achieve your goals.

Sure, self-control is hard, but it doesn’t have to be that hard. Get the help you need to be freer, happier, and more productive. Your future self will thank you!

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Faith, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you read Charles Duhigg on habits, but wondered about how the research on habits works with what the Bible teaches about sanctification? Have you read James K. A. Smith on habits, but wondered how his link of your loves to your habits will really work in the nitty-gritty of life? Or have you read one of the many willpower books out recently, but again tried to square that research with Scripture? Drew Dyck's Your Future Self Will Thank You is the book that perfectly wraps up a theology of sanctification with modern research on habits and willpower without, as far as this laywoman understands, losing either. As someone who spent 2018 reading voraciously on the dual threads of sanctification as presented in the Bible and habits as understood by psychology, this book was a perfect capstone. The book presents research in an easy to read manner. The author provides his own life as a case study, but in a way that it can be broadly applied. Whether you've read broadly on the topic of self-control or are looking into it for the first time, this book will have something to teach you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, did I enjoy this book. I took five and a half pages of notes in my journal just so I wouldn't forget all of the helpful information too quickly to implement it. I felt like I was taking a class or attending a conference with a famous speaker. I just wanted to soak in everything.

What I loved about Your Future Self Will Thank You:
- witty humor that really did have me laughing out loud
- excellent illustrations that kept me engaged as well as made principles more 'real' to me
- a common man, relatable tone which earned my respect as well as often touched on questions I naturally had with the material
- the perfect blend of modern scientific research (tons of it! check out all of those footnotes!) and a broad range of Biblical wisdom (both Scripture itself as well as past and present Godly advisers)
- a deep examination of the subject, rather than repeating the same superficial blog post information (we've all heard a few times about cue-routine-reward by now, right?)
- a constant faithfulness to the goals of Christ - love God and love others. This is not a self-help book. This is a Christian book, which is to say that it is designed to help you delight in God and His ways more and more.

I am actually quite excited to pour through my notes and begin implementing Dyck's advice. Not because "knowledge is power," but because I know God will fight alongside me as I strive for holiness. I want the hardest part of my life to be striving after the prize of Christ, not striving to wake up in the morning or fold the laundry once a week. I have never felt free to implement the latest "habit changing" science and advice because I was too scared that I would eliminate my awareness of and love for God. Drew Dyck finally connected the dots for me so that I can benefit from all of the modern understanding without making the slightest compromise in my Biblical faith. I can't wait!

[Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

A fun book to kick start and motivate you into sticking with new goals while shutting down bad habits. It is a Believer's perspective using Biblical scripture as a foundation to achieving and sustaining this. Fresh, honest without making you feel like a total loser and worse. The author has an amazing sense of humor and is unafraid to be unabashedly human. He laughs at his foibles quite often. The best part is we can all see ourselves in this book so there is hope in end. Ha!

[Norman Falk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book. It’s an easy read with a lot of wisdom and practical applications.

Here some of the mayor takeaways:

-Willpower is limited. Wisdom is needed in deciding where I will spend it.
-Willpower can be recharged again (meditation, silence, sleep, etc.)
-Self control affects every area in life.
-Self-control is doing the right think even if you don’t feel like it
-Self-Control as the path to freedom instead of self-inflected punishment
-Self-control is not just freedom from, but freedom for
-We make decisions through willpower (which, in the long run is not sustainable) and habits (in this case, an almost subconscious process that allows to save willpower—think merging onto freeway)
-3 distinct parts of habit: cue (the trigger—leaving running clothes next to the bed ), routine (the running ) and reward (sweet treat)

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful and interesting. The author shared a lot of good information about willpower, habits, and self control. He gave scientific evidence and scriptural evidence.

This book is worth the read! I think the author summed it up best in saying, "Self control isn't the sexiest topic we could discuss, but it's vital."

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, scientific, and Biblical information to set your life on a self-controlled path. Drew is an excellent author, weaving together facts, stories, and humor to make this book easy to read.

[Sienna Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a person who struggles to stick to goals, plans, diets, etc. If you’re a person who feels lacks more discipline than others , feels discouraged that you keep falling back into the same sin cycles, same outbursts, same bad habits - then this book is for you.

This book breaks down exactly why this is happening according to Scripture and Medical research and provides tips and advice on how to help overcome this. All while simultaneously encouraging you with the gospel and biblical truth.

[Kintanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Your Future Self Will Thank You” is a THE book for people like me, sinner, quitter and procrastinator 😂 People who have a hard time sticking to habits and staying consistent.
And you know what? It's no surprise that I started this book with a good resolution in January (yes, January!) and see what's the day today. This is definitely one of the books that took me a really looooong time to finish (longer than any other fiction book, even the worst ones I could've read so far😅).
I guess this reflects my real-life struggle, mostly with self-control and perseverance.

What I appreciated most is that through the book, the author is down to earth in his explanations and he doesn’t sugarcoat things when it comes to human willpower. I found myself relating to him many times, especially with Bible reading habit and prayer life, oops.
Besides, we clearly see that Drew Dyck has done a lot of prior research related to this topic and these studies are seen throughout the book in a relevant way. By the way, as for me, this aspect made the book like a great research paper, both interesting and boring (if you know you know haha).

So, here are my two main takeaways from the book :
1. Willpower isn’t a finite resource (it varies from one individual to another) so we need systems to maintain a habit : a cue, a routine, and a reward.
2. (If the systems don't work) Attach a significance to your habits to motivate yourself. And to quote the author "There’s nothing more ultimate than God".

When I finally turned the last page this morning, my future self gave me a standing ovation. 😂

[Della Ray Dodgen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book, many highlightable parts. The book explained what self-control is and why it's important, as well as how to gain self-control which isn't talked about too often. I'll be implementing much of the advice into my own life.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I will encourage everyone from jr high up to read it. It’s encouraging, thought provoking and practical.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew self-control was important. I knew I needed more of it. Reading this book helped me understand why it is so important and also gave me the information I needed to strengthen that discipline in my own life.

I also knew self-control was one of the fruit of the Spirit. Here I found out Thomas Aquinas identified it as the foundational virtue. None of the other virtues could be developed without it. (Loc. 95/2515) I realized self-control is more important that I ever thought.

Dyck helped me understand how to develop self-control. I hadn't really thought of it as surrender. He defines self-control as “the ability to do the right thing, even when you don't feel like it.” (Loc. 299/2515) God knows what is right for us so surrender to His guidance and empowerment is essential. I now know self-control cannot be truly developed apart from God. I also found out why having the knowledge is not enough to produce action. I also learned about the importance of habits.

Dyck helped me understand why I have more willpower at certain times of the day (morning). He helped me recognize those situations that deplete willpower and what I can do to build up and replenish it. I also found out that purpose is very important in motivation and what better purpose could there be than loving God and loving others? And self-control gives us thee freedom to do that.

“As you are liberated from the tyranny of self, you're able to experience God's best for your life.” (Loc. 307/2515)

I highly recommend this book if you want to understand the importance of self-control and how to develop it. Dyck has done an excellent job of combining insights from the Bible, brain science and his own experiences.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convicting and yet full of hope.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful that Drew wrote this book. This book excels in three things:

1. Establishing self control as central to any Christian who wants to live faithfully. He establishes that self-control is a biblical trait and a fruit of the Spirit which Christians should seek to cultivate through effort and the power of the Spirit. He argues well for the foundational nature of self-control in the struggle for sanctification and growth as a person.

2. Describing the effects of sin on self-control. Drew explains the fallenness of human nature well. We are "bent" toward lack of control and lack of discipline. We need new life in Christ and the power of God to change us from the inside and to make our efforts at self-control fruitful.

3. Marking out the proper goals for self-improvement. So many people approach "self-help" or self-improvement books with the idea of improving their focus, habits, or lifestyle so that they can be happy and successful and rich. Drew points out that people who pursue self-improvement with these motives often destroy their lives and alienate their families with their self-focus. He looks at the two greatest commandments and reminds us that we should seek to improve ourselves with two simple goals in mind: love God and love others. We ought pursue personal growth so that we can love God more deeply and love our neighbors more effectively.

I am grateful that Drew wrote this book, and I commend it to you.

[Diane Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure if my excitement for this book stems from it being the right book at the right time, or finally getting the answers I had been unknowingly longing for, for so long!

The author did an amazing job of breaking this book down into easily manageable chunks of information that was both easy to understand and with repeated "light-bulb moments" for me. I had so many frustrations with myself, that I didn't even realize were legitimate questions with a science-y answer behind them. I just thought it was me ... and my shortcomings ... that I just needed to try harder to overcome on my own. Knowing both the Biblical truths running parallel with the physiological science provided the answers I had been subconsciously looking for. I appreciated the author's openness and sincerity in sharing his own personal struggles and the frustrations he felt. Extremely useful and informative from start to finish!!!

My only critique would be, (and usually I find these annoying and anything but helpful) , for the author to include end of chapter questions for further reflection. This book would be amazing to use in a small group setting and I think a few poignant questions to guide a leader in a book study would be extremely helpful.

I received this book from the publisher but was not required to leave a review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine recommended this book ages ago, and it languished on my "you should request me from the library someday" list for a while. I'm not sure exactly what prompted me to put it on hold, but I'm very thankful for whatever it was!

The information in Dyck's book isn't particularly new or groundbreaking, especially if you've done any previous reading about habits or self-control. But it's presented in ways that are clear, readable, and easily applicable. He combines Biblical wisdom with contemporary research and breaks big ideas down into small steps that feel manageable, including plenty of anecdotes about his own failures and successes.

This is one that I want to have living on my bookshelves--it's the sort of book that would pair very nicely with James KA Smith's You are What You Love and Justin Earley's The Common Rule--both books I want to re-read every year.

Update, 11/30/25:
I knew that Dyck's Your Future Self Will Thank You would have a spot on my "books to prepare you for adulthood" list for my kids. The only problem was deciding which year to put it in (which was also an excellent excuse for a re-read). I think it might take two spots on the list--one in the early teens and one in the later teens. It's certainly worth reading more than once.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-control is an overlooked subject and this book did a very fine job painting a picture of the vital importance of self-control and how to achieve it. There are other books that I think do a better job of explaining the neuroscience and psychology of habit-formation (Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit, and Switch) but this one has the advantage of looking at it through the lens of Scripture and in particular the role that sin plays in our lack of self-control and the role of the Spirit in our formation of it. Readers will be encouraged to know that self-control and willpower is a limited resource that can be strengthen like a muscle with exercise.

I also appreciated the tone of the author throughout the book. Early on he admits he needs to write this book more than anyone needs to read it. He gives examples at the end of each chapter of how he is struggling to build self-control into his life through various disciplines. But these read like honest journal entries about his successes and failures building new habits. I'm glad he didn't omit the challenging parts. I think this is a great introduction for Christians who want to cultivate the virtue of self-control in their lives.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent integration of biblical principles, modern psychology, and historical philosophy for actually understanding and building self-discipline. Sometimes, authors ignore the psychological side of self-control/habits/addictions. Others deny that lack of self control is a sin that can be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. This book does neither and takes an honest look at how self control works, what it looks like, how to build it, and how to think about it biblically.

[Chesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Atomic Habits and The Power of Habit, this was an excellent read from a very Christian perspective. The author reiterates and distills the best of the advice and research of the other books, as well as zeroing in on the topics of self-control, human brokenness, grace, striving, spiritual complacency, spiritual disciplines, progressive sanctification, and addiction. I especially appreciated the chapter about will power—the human limitations and ways to grow.

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baptize Charles Duhigg’s “The Power of Habit” and you get this book. That isn’t taking anything away from it - it’s a solidly Christian perspective on habits, sanctification, and striving to become more like Jesus by God’s grace. I appreciated the author’s humility and honesty with his own struggles sprinkled throughout.

[Richard Harbison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on how self-control helps with all aspects of life. A great balance of humor and information.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book because I had encountered the author online and enjoyed him. Hoped the book could be helpful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author has a comfortable style and has clearly done his homework. He shares valuable insights, helpful information, and encouraging suggestions that make this very accessible and eminently practical.
I have already seen the results of integrating some of the lessons I learned from this book and I look forward to further utilizing the lessons here so that my future self will not only thank me, but Drew Dyck as well.

[Fëalórin · Rating 4 out of 5]

To sum it up in a few words, this book was a joy to read. This isn't a nonfiction self-help book with tediously abstract, semi-practical concepts that will bore you to death. It's written in a style that reflects Drew's fun personality, communicating his observations using colloquial language, the more-than-occasional quip, and oh-so-relatable anecdotes about his life and his own struggle with self-control in all of its aspects, whether that be fasting, exercising, or reading the Bible and praying.

You are hereby warned: you may or may not die of laughter if you make the perilous decision to read this book.


My full review can be found on My Little Hole in the Ground.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Found this book very helpful, especially in terms of habit building and thoughts on diminishable willpower. It was very easy to read and came from a humble let’s-figure-this-out-together perspective. Also great chapter on phone usage that was insightful. Definitely recommend!

[Daniel Woodfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and very insightful

This is a fabulous book. The author has an easy, honest style and says a lot in few words. The relationship between theology and psychology also feels organic and not like tuna and peanut butter forced to go together, which could easily have been the case . We discussed some of the concepts at a mens breakfast and the conversation was brilliant - highly recommended.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught my eye at the 2022 Acts29 annual conference in Denver, CO; I struggle with self-control and addictive behaviour. I'm happy to say Drew Dyck delivered!

- The book was easy to read and kept me engaged most, if not all, of the way through - I could say it didn't require much self-control to keep reading (see what I did there?...)

- The book was faithful and accurate both to the science and the scriptures. I consider myself a bit of a skeptical person. I'm often on the lookout, especially in popular books that engage science or scripture, for errors, for overstepping and saying something neither scripture nor the science really gives us permission to say. But Dyck did an excellent job.

- Dyck gave clear and truly helpful suggestions and observations on improving self-control, exercising willpower, and overcoming addictive behaviour. (Ex: my phone has been in greyscale for almost 36 hours now and I find it less interesting to be on!)

- Best of all, in all this talk of self-control, Dyck doesn't lose the Gospel of grace: that we are saved and sanctified by the grace and power of God, not by anything we can do or contribute. Not only did he not lose that truth, but he commented multiple times on the paradox at the heart of the book, and the tendency for the idea of self-control to seem contradictory to the truth that all our effort and work is, at bottom, "[God] who works in us both to work and to will for His good pleasure."(Phil 2:13)

Great book! Glad I bought it and plan to lend it to others!

[Doug Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With self-deprecating humor and an easy to read writing style, Drew Dyck gets at the heart of self-control. His approach starts with Christian understanding, but he does not limit his research to the Bible. I think non-Christians could benefit from this book, but it seems he is writing primarily to Christians.

He starts with motivations and ends with what one can learn from addicts. He has a practical section at the end of each chapter chronicling his battle for self-control. This book helped me think about my own need and have a talk with my oldest son especially regarding the internet, sex and drugs. Because you can take the boy out of fundamentalism, but... actually it made me thankful for my fundamentalist upbringing and the ways it helped me form some good habits at a young age.

One minor criticism, in his section about community I think he could have written a little more in depth about the church. What do you expect from a former 9marks pastoral resident. I hugely recommend this book to teenagers and above.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: a foundation for the soul: why I need this book more than you do.

1. Why self-control? Because it leads to freedom and flourishing

2. Sorry, self-control isn’t about you: how the right purpose guides and fuels self control

3. Meeting the enemies: what scripture says about fighting the flesh and the devil

4. Hope for growth: how to grow your puny willpower muscles

5: The transforming power of habits: making self-control automatic

6. Training your elephant: building healthy habits into you life

7. Grace means I don’t need self-control: ...and other dumb things Christians say

8. Disciplined living in an age of distraction: strategies for self-control in the digital era

9. Learning from addicts: what rehab programs reveal about self-control

Conclusions: life under control: my prayer for you.

[Jazmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering how many great reviews this book has, I feel like odd-duck out.

This book could have been good. The idea had potential. I actually liked the author’s tone at first, and I went in fully knowing it was Christian-based. The title promised a mix of Bible and brain science, and I expected a 50/50 balance. What I got was closer to 80–90% Bible and 10–20% science, which—fine.

I came in wanting something that would help me build discipline and better habits. I was ready for the religious pieces, and I was open to them. But the way the content was delivered felt repetitive and overly spiritualized, and the “scientific” side barely showed up. When it did, it wasn’t deep. A lot of it felt like surface-level summaries or recycled ideas from The Willpower Instinct and The Power of Habit. Those books do a much stronger, more grounded job explaining the psychology behind behavior and habit formation.

A core issue for me was the language. The difference between self-control, willpower, discipline, and habit really matters.

So I added the Merriam-Webster definitions I wanted reflected:

Self-control: restraint exercised over one’s own impulses
Willpower: energetic determination; the ability to control one’s own actions
Discipline: training that corrects or strengthens mental or moral character
Habit: a settled tendency or normal behavior
Vice: a moral fault or weakness (like addictions to smoking or drinking = not habits IMO)

And this is exactly where the book lost me. For someone trying to genuinely build discipline and improve their life, that kind of oversimplification isn’t helpful.

Even with all that… I will say this:
The book gave me things to talk about, think about, and meditate on. It sparked long, meaningful conversations and helped me reflect on my own definitions of willpower and discipline. In that sense, it offered something — just not because of its content, but because I had to think around the content.

For somebody deeply religious, this may hit in a positive way.
For somebody like me, trying to build discipline in a grounded, psychological way, this just didn’t click.

[Julio Padilla Mozo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una buena introducción al tema del dominio propio y su relación a las investigaciones sobre la “fuerza de voluntad”.

Desde la perspectiva cristiana, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction“The common rule”
te habla sobre los hábitos, mientras que Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science te permite integrarlos y darles sentido en tu caminar hacia la "ciudad de Dios".

[Samuel James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was, ironically, an impulse buy. Self-control is something I need a lot more of, and I absolutely love that Drew Dyck sat down to write a book on self control from a biblical and practical perspective. There are some helpful insights throughout, especially on the finite character of self-control and how it must be practiced in order to be gained. I thought the first half of the book was considerably stronger than the second half, which (for me) devolved a little too much into block quotes. We need more books like this from a Christian point of view, especially books that marinate a little longer in the intersection of cognitive science and theological anthropology. It's a good starter book if you're looking for a Christian case for self-control.

[Melissa Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and timely as I’ve been thinking a lot about the person I want to be in 5, 10, 15 years and what it takes to get there. One of my favorite sayings is “you don’t slide into holiness”. It takes intentional work and daily dependence on the grace of God to be like Jesus. Learning about some of the science of how our brains work and how we can actually replace bad habits with good ones was cool along with the gospel-centered encouragement. Self control =\ self help. Self control is a fruit of the Spirit and probably the one I’ve neglected thinking about and working toward the most thus far in my life. Here’s to the slow, hard work of fighting complacency, sin, and laziness in my life to pursue righteousness.