The Battle of the Beans

Read

Genesis 25:34, “Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank and then got up and left. So, Esau despised his birthright.”

Think

Can you imagine being so hungry that you’d trade your entire multi-million-dollar inheritance for a meal? Sounds crazy, right? But that’s exactly what happened to Esau.

Esau had been out hunting all day and came home empty-handed. He was famished and saw his brother’s dinner in the kitchen. His brother, Jacob, told him he could have some if he gave up his birthright. Esau was so desperate to satisfy the temporary hunger that he altered the entire course of his life for immediate gratification.

Imagine what Esau experienced when he finished his dinner only to be hit with the reality that he traded his future for a bowl of beans. Literally.

What is your bowl of beans? What are you trading your future for on the altar of the immediate? Addiction, pride, lust, popularity, self-importance? No temporary fix is worth losing the life of blessing God has waiting for you.

Act

Set three reminders on your phone to show up over the next few days with the phrase, “Don’t trade your future on the altar of the immediate.” Let it serve as an important reminder that making wise choices and obeying God leads to a life of purpose and blessing.

Pray

Heavenly Father, help me to see where I am choosing the immediate over the eternal, where I am fulfilling my desires instead of living out Your best for my life. I choose to trust You and Your timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.