Having the self-control to wait for the second marshmallow.

"Is this what 'marshmallow roast' is supposed to mean?"

Yesterday, I received this post in an RSS feed I receive from Joann Jacobs based on an article in The New Yorker. I love it when people do studies and the conclusion agrees with the teachings of the Bible! The article is about a study that was done in the 1960's where children were given the choice of having one marshmallow immediately, or waiting 15 minutes and getting two marshmallows. The conclusion was that children who could wait for the two marshmallows went on to do better in almost every aspect of life, including socially and academically, if they were in the small group that could wait. They even got higher scores on the SAT.

The Bible has a lot to say about self-control, even including it in the fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5:22. I'm afraid, as a parent, I don't always model self-control or take the time to teach it to my children. Sometimes it's just easier, especially when you're engaged in an activity that requires concentration (like typing this post or talking on the phone) and your children are nagging you or fighting with each other, it's not always easy to pull yourself away long enough to deal with the problems at hand. It's easier just to say whatever will make them be quiet in the shortest amount of time rather than take down the Bible and show them what it says about whatever problem they're having - and self-control is probably at the root of a lot of their problems, and our own. Think about it - overeating, too much TV, overspending, overscheduling, overworking, too much of "good" things - it's all related to lack of self-control.

For more on what the Bible says about self-control, here are some verses online. However, I would suggest just going and getting your Bible. You wouldn't want to spend too much time online, you know! ;)