Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.—Genesis 25:34

We all want it right now. But sometimes having it right now is not better. That new phone, that new car, that new home—it can wait. But our desires and the world are telling us two things. First, your desires tell you that you deserve it, need it, and rationalize it. Second, the world tells you that if you don't have it right now, you will be missing out. We even have an acronym for this nervous feeling (FOMO—the "fear of missing out"). But delayed gratification mixed with a little self-discipline is not always a bad thing. It might be a good thing. Even a great idea, but often we pass right over this benefit. And when we do, we get conned. Like Jacob conned Esau out of his right to first blessing over a bowl of soup. Call it mischevious or even deceptive—but in the end, Esau chose momentary pleasure for an entire future of blessing. Stupidity. Foolishness. Idiotic. And yep, both you and I have done it. So today, don't disregard the sacred values of life. Don't seek immediate gratification. Have a long view of life and each decision you make. Respect what is spiritual. And for goodness sake, don't give in to your fleshly desires or listen to the world. Brother, there are great things ahead—live without regret.

DO THIS: Delay a fleshly gratification.

PRAYER: God, give me strength and power to see the road ahead and make the very best decisions today. God, I will not be obedient to the desires of the flesh, and I will not listen to the voices of the world. With you, I never miss out.