As my first business partner often reminded me, “slow and steady wins the race.”
It’s amazing how many great things have happened in my life when I’ve overcome the urge to give into short-term, instant gratification-type fixes.
The devil loves for us to act impulsively as it often prevents us from achieving the great things God has in store for us.
I often shake my head in disbelief when I observe people who declare time after time they are going to get out of debt but their actions continue to dig them a deeper hole of debt. The devil often whispers in their ears, “Go ahead, you deserve this.”
Deserve what? Do I really deserve to strap myself with more debt?????
Although, I don’t know what I’d do without my credit card, we have to be on guard with them because the devil knows he can use them against us. The devil uses our credit cards as his tool to get us to act on our emotional impulses and buy stuff we don’t need in order to make our pit of debt wider and deeper.
Instant gratification grows from a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). Â We are afraid if we don’t act now, we are going to miss out on something good.
Jim Collins once said, “Good is the enemy of great.”
Choosing to wait and seek out God’s direction and guidance instead of giving into my impulses and emotions in the moment, has saved me quite often from settling for “short term good’s,” when God had “long term great’s” waiting for me.
Our flesh desires good. Â God desires great.
It’s amazing how far we can get ahead in life by simply denying the desires of our flesh one day at a time.
Some of us struggle with delineating between “flesh” and God.  The same decision making steps I shared with you in my post on Indecision last week are also useful in discerning between our human desires and the desires God has for us.
- Is the action I’m about to take a result of a “nudge” aligned with God’s will or my will?
- Have I confirmed with a spiritual accountability partner that this “nudge” is from God and not from me?
- Is what I’m about to do aligned with my life purpose (why I’m here)?
- Is what I’m about to do aligned with my life vision and goals (where I’m going)?
- Is what I’m about to do aligned with my guiding principles (what I stand for)?
- Is what I’m about to do aligned with my priorities (my key roles and responsibilities)?
Proverbs 21:5 (NIV), “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
Reflection:
What beliefs, thoughts and actions cause you to struggle with instant gratification?
Additional Scripture to read and reflect upon: Romans 5:3-4, James 1:12-18, Hebrews 10:36
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
