What are the principles behind finding satisfaction in life? Are we to
seek it at all cost or should there be some guidelines to gratifying ourselves?
Let’s see what Esau thinks...
Genesis 25:27-34, "And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a
man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. [28] And
Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved
Jacob. [29] And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he
was faint: [30] And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that
same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
[31] And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. [32] And Esau said,
Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright
do to me? [33] And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto
him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. [34] Then Jacob gave Esau
bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up,
and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
Ladies, beware of paying too high a price for temporary satisfaction!
Esau traded the lasting benefits of his birthright for the immediate pleasure
of food. He acted on impulse, satisfying his pressing desires without
pausing to consider the long-range consequences of his actions. We can
fall into the same trap if we choose our flesh over the Spirit! When we
see something we want, our first impulse is to get it anyway we can. However,
a life of faith in God is lived apart from scheming… Initially, we feel
intensely satisfied and somewhat superior because we have acquired exactly
what we set out to get. We greedily partake of what we have promptly arranged
for ourselves and then rise up to continue on our own way… Nevertheless,
instant gratification often loses sight of the future! Consequently, we
can avoid making Esau’s mistake by comparing short-term satisfaction with
long-range consequences before we act.
Beware also, dear lady, of exaggerating needs in order to rationalize
poor choices! In the text above, Esau exaggerated his hunger. Have you
ever overstated your circumstances or made your problems sound larger
than life in order to justify carrying out your own will? It’s amazing
how theatrical we become when driven by our flesh! Such an inflated description
of his existing condition made Esau’s hasty choice much easier because
if he was indeed starving to death, what good was an inheritance to a
dying man?? Hence, the pressure of the moment distorted his perspective
and attached urgency to his decision. As did Esau, we often experience
similar forces at work within us… For example, when we feel sexual pressure,
something as serious as a marriage vow may seem temporarily unimportant
in pursuit of fulfillment. In fact, we might feel such great pressure
in one area that nothing else seems to matter, and we lose our perspective
altogether! Getting through that brief, but powerful pressure-filled moment
is often the most difficult part of triumphing over a costly stupid decision.
Neither is the Lord anywhere to be found in our preferences…
Psalm 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth
for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no
water is;”
One of the reasons we long for our own desires above that which God would
have for us is because we believe He will bring us the least amount of
satisfaction! This is precisely the moment when deception enters the picture,
beginning with our own hearts… What sinful behavior of your own do you
tend to rationalize, dear lady? The desire to satisfy God’s requirements
ought to be our highest goal. It is never okay to use whatever means are
necessary to achieve our own purposes, no matter how good they might be!
When you do, you will have to accept the consequences of your impatient
behavior. How much better it is to just wait on the Lord to work out His
will in our lives and deliver true satisfaction to our doorstep! Without
God, satisfaction is a lost search.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
