Embracing Delayed Gratification for Lasting Spiritual Growth

"Extensive research was conducted by a group called Strava, and it was found that approximately 80% of people who made new year's resolutions have tapped out by the second week of January. It's the second Friday to be exact. It goes on to say that Quitter's Day is not one to make fun of those who set goals and quit, but to inspire them to push through and achieve their goals despite all odds." [00:41:29]

"And the key to not quitting is to be totally determined, devoted to doing what you committed to do. The second key is persistence, and the third is to get with a group or club doing the same thing. So according to research, these three things are winning recipes to keep going. Fully committed, consistent and persistent, and accountability." [00:42:00]

"But here we see that Esau comes in, he is famished, he's weakened with hunger. And hunger is natural. There's nothing wrong with hunger or seeking to satisfy it, but to place an appetite above obedience or a long-term benefit is to choose the temporal over the eternal. And in today's terminology, we're going to talk about the temporal. In today's terminology, we could say instant gratification took precedence over delayed gratification." [00:45:28]

"This thoughtless action of Esau's is actually referred to in Hebrews 12, verse 16, when it says, don't be like Esau, who for a single meal sold something of lasting value. How long was it till Esau was hungry again? Probably not long, but the birthright was gone. Also in verse 34, we see that Esau despised his birthright." [00:46:57]

"The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, lower divorce rates, better social skills, and generally better scores in a range of other life measures. The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years." [00:52:14]

"And so these studies do make one thing clear, that if you want to succeed at something, at some point you will need to find the ability to be disciplined and take action instead of being distracted and doing what's easy. Success, in almost every aspect of life, requires you to ignore doing something easier in favor of doing something harder." [00:53:39]

"But the key point I want to emphasize is that even if you don't feel you're good at delaying gratification now, you can train yourself to become better even if it's simply by making a few small improvements. A recent... best-selling book was just about this, The Power of Atomic Habits. And atomic habits are small habits, how small changes can lead to big results and change the trajectory of your life for the long term." [00:55:30]

"We can learn to overcome the temptation of instant gratification. It is difficult but not impossible. Finding the balance between instantly wanting to gratify ourselves and the best choice for our future is essential. It is essential. For us mentally, spiritually, and physically. In 1 Timothy 4 .8, Paul writes to Timothy, his disciple, for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." [00:57:28]

"So what can we do? First of all, we can set goals. And it's more advisable to set smaller goals that are easy to achieve as they will encourage us to keep working. We can set small goals for physical health, but also our spiritual growth. We can say I'm going to spend a little bit of time in prayer and reading before I set off in my day and build up." [00:59:08]

"And don't go it alone. It is easier to follow through with support and accountability. Remember the three things from that article are to be fully committed, fully devoted to what you've committed to do. Persistency and consistency. And get involved with a group. We need others. The number one way to maintain spiritual integrity is through accountability." [01:00:58]

"It was not about them. This passage is really about the promises of God and the purpose of God. You see, earlier in chapter 25, there was a prophecy, a prediction made. God said, even before the twins were born, the Lord said the older will serve the younger, that Esau would serve Jacob. And you see, Isaac, the father, would have known this promise." [01:03:43]

"And as we look back on our lives, I know we can all see ways that we have failed, but our lives are not defined by our past, but by God's promises. You see, God redeems. God, accomplishes his purposes. You see, Esau learned. He grew. He forgave. And Jacob and Esau are reunited. And in so many ways, both are blessed." [01:05:09]