Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”
Our Bible verse for today: “The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.” Proverbs 21:25-26 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Instant gratification is not a blessing.”
We live in a very fast world. We have fast food, fast internet, and 24/7 online banking. “On-Demand” entertainment allows us to watch any movie, on any device, at any time – at home, in the car, in the dentist office, or virtually anywhere else. Our telephones provide us with “instant” messaging with almost any person, anywhere in the world, at any time. And the examples go on. We are fast, we are instant, and we are spoiled.
We no longer know how to wait for things. The concept of “delayed” gratification is foreign to many, and confusing to most. Why would you wait for something if there’s a way you can get it immediately? Why would you save your money so you can pay cash for a car if someone will give you a loan for one on the spot? Why wait for marriage to have sex if both parties are willing and eager to do it now? What’s the point in ever waiting for anything if there’s a way to get it right now, fast and easy, with little effort or patience or discipline?
Because we live in a society that thrives on conspicuous consumption and instant gratification, many people have come to believe they are entitled to everything, and entitled to it now. Whether we’re talking about food, sex, travel, fun, or professional advancement, people want it fast and with a minimum of effort.
Living like that makes people lazy and undisciplined. It creates a sense of entitlement and impatience. And, it makes us weak. If everything comes fast and easy then a person will not know how to work hard over a sustained period of time to bring about good things for themselves.
Delayed gratification is a discipline that teaches important lessons and makes a person strong. This is why the Apostle Paul tells us to be resilient times of trouble and steadfast in prayer (Romans 12:12). It’s also why James teaches us to be patient and to keep trying when faced with difficult situations (James 1:3-4). Those are just a couple of the many scripture passages that teach the importance of discipline, patience, and delayed gratification.
In Proverbs 21:25-26 Solomon described a person who had a never-ending craving for more, more, more, but was too lazy to work for it. He wants it all, he wants it now, and he wants it without much effort on his part.
Have you learned to wait and to work for good things, or do you have to have it all right now? More often than not instant gratification is a curse not a blessing, but delayed gratification, and the discipline and patience it requires, makes us strong.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 