Delayed Gratification

Is Victorious Living a description of your life? Or is it more like, Getting By Living. Or maybe you would describe life as “this is as good as it gets.” Someone told me yesterday, I have low expectations, that way I have less disappointments. For this individual, low expectation was his form of self protection. Most of us live way below our potential. Victorious Living is not an accident, it happens by design. It is not a surprise, but a calculated outcome determined by actions and life choices. Therein lies the problem. Most of us know what we should be doing, but simply can’t seem to bring ourselves to do it. Eventually we give up. Content to live mediocre lives  - just getting by - hoping to die with enough to pay the funeral costs. It can be different. The Bible encourages us here.

Romans 8:5-6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Life and peace are the hallmarks of Victorious Living. You can have lots of money, but be miserable. That is not victorious living. You can be extremely popular, but be lonely. That is not victorious living. You can be powerful, reaching the pinnacle of success, but be a complete failure where it matters. That is not victorious living. Life and Peace is never achieved through gratifying the cravings and indulgences of our human nature. We need to “set” our minds on what the spirit desires. Here are some of the things the spirit gives us when we set our mind on him: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; (Galatians 5:22-23) But these things don’t happen instantaneously. They require development, which involves processes, creating the need for the passing of time. Notice the last thing in the list of “what the spirit desires to give us” is Self-Control. Or delayed gratification. When we pray, we have to wait for God to answer. When we live by faith, we have to wait for God to bring it about. When we do the right thing, we don’t always experience the blessing right away. Possessing the ability to delay gratification is essential to Victorious Living. Thankfully we have the Spirit of God helping us in this area. If you are really serious about living differently – experiencing Victorious Living - you have to allow the Spirit of the Living God to develop in you self-control. We forfeit life and peace when we don’t wait for God and seek immediate gratification.

This Sunday, I will be sharing the blessings of delayed gratification and how God works in our lives to bring about Victorious Living.