Grabbing for Gratification

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1-4

The reason David challenges us not to be envious of those who do wrong is because doing wrong often gets you immediate success. Basically, things like anger, lust and greed are fun in the short term because you get that immediate pleasure rush. 

Instead, David calls for trust, to delight in God. And he calls for us to dwell – to sit right where we are and wait. That’s a very different approach than grabbing for pleasure now. It’s hard to wait, it’s hard to dwell, it’s hard to delight in God… and yet we can see that in the long run, that’s where real maturity comes. Think for a moment about the people you respect most in life – no doubt, they are not people who lived for the moment, but rather, people who fought through difficulties, who endured over the long run, and who demonstrated the kind of maturity that doesn’t give in to instant gratification.

Take some time today to talk with God about your desire to grow deep and true over the long run.