THE LAW OF GRATIFICATION
Galatians 5:16:21
Gratification can be very tempting. The nature of man is to satisfy the desire of the flesh. Even Jesus Christ when he was on earth was presented with this temptation. He severally had to contend with the flesh, being enticed with the choice of gratifying its desire or living for the greater good. You will recall when he went into the garden to pray with some of his disciples, the Bible recorded that he was in deep sorrow, so much that he declared: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26: 38) and prayed: “Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36).
Also, at his temptation in Matthew 4: 1-11, “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temptedby the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. You know the story. At the end, the devil left him, and angels came and attended to him. If you delay your gratification, what you get at a later day is like angels are helping you.
If the Son of God had to deal with gratification, how much more you, a mortal man? Being saved does not mean that you are immune to temptation. In fact, that makes you more susceptible to it. You are the devil’s target as a child of God. You will be pressed on every side as long as you are on earth here in this human flesh, but with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, you will subdue the flesh in the same manner Jesus did.
While you are relying on the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, it is important that you do not put yourself in potentially compromising position. The Bible warned us to flee every appearance of evil. Never toil with sin, no matter how strong you think you are in the Lord. Remember, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Appreciate that if you give in to instant gratification, it is capable of killing your dreams. When you delay gratification, you will enjoy enduring satisfaction.
In other words, life is built on a system of work, reward and motivation. Receiving a reward ought to be at the end of the task. Gratification therefore should be after certain goals have been achieved. Gratification enjoyed when your vision isn’t fulfilled yet might be too early. Don’t mistake your seed for your fruit. Seed is meant to be sowed for a better harvest, where as your fruit is to be eaten and enjoyed. You need to be able to have enough discipline to delay gratification.
MEDITATION: You need to be careful not to mistake your seed for a fruit
