THE BLESSING OF “DELAY”

Growing up, one of the beautiful things about Christmas was the aroma of fried chicken that filled the home. There would always be bowls of fried chicken in our white double-door fridge. The temptation has landed, so also the battle not to steal. 

Let me admit- I lost that battle a lot as a teenager. I would tiptoe to that fridge and tear a bit of the chicken. However, that little tear has only whetted my appetite. I would eventually come back again and again until my mum discovers that there is a “big human rat” eating up the fried chicken. 

I eventually missed out on having a piece while everyone ate, or I had the remnant of the one that I had bitten from. 

First, there is a blessing in delayed gratification. Do not let the devil or your flesh make you feel like you are missing something. It is a good miss. 

Second, if you lose the battle of delayed gratification once, you are likely to continue losing. Tame your appetite before it gets out of control.

Third, the devil will offer you an earlier, inferior version of what God will give you eventually. He will give you as fornication what God has reserved as a gift in marriage. 

He offered Jesus all the glory of the world in temptation. 

“Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.””

Luke 4:5-7 NLT

After resurrection, Jesus came with a proclamation: 

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

Matthew 28:18 NLT

Do not settle for less because you could not wait for what the Lord has reserved for you. Don’t cheat yourself.