We all make foolish decisions – especially when motivated by our own desires.
Have you ever gone to a grocery store when you’re hungry? Most likely you ended up buying things you would not typically buy!
Take Esau – he was starving and gave up his birthright for a temporary pleasure – stew (Genesis 25:29-34).
Or what about Abraham and his son Isaac – they both were motivated by fear, so they lied about their wife being their sister (Genesis 20: 2-11, 26:7-9). Both Abraham and Isaac valued their life more than their love for their wives.
How many times have you or I done the same thing?
It may not be giving up our actual birthright for stew, but what about replacing telling the truth with a lie? Or what about giving up patience and being impatient? Or forfeiting edifying speech and engaging in gossip?
Why do we do these things?
Because it is easier to lie, be impatient or gossip, and we forgot that we have the power to tell the truth, be patient and edify others.
But if we choose the harder way and remember what God says – take our thoughts captive and control our own bodies – we wouldn’t give up what God has already given us (2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 Thessalonians 4:4). Second Peter 1:3 reminds us that God has already given us His divine power for all of the decisions we make in life. However, there are times when the momentary pleasure seems greater than not and we forget who we are in Christ as well as the power we have by the Holy Spirit.
May we not be so earthly minded – starving for temporary desires – that we forgot the eternal pleasure we have now and forevermore following our Bread of Life (Psalm 16:11 and Matthew 4:4).