Delaying Gratification

Choosing Long-Term Rewards Over Immediate Pleasures

Revelation 10:10 – “I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.”

This verse reminds me of an experience I had when I turned 40. For years, I could eat all the muffins I wanted without thinking about the consequences. But suddenly, my body changed—I could still enjoy the sweet taste of sugar, but it would soon leave me feeling awful.

We live in a culture of instant gratification, where we are constantly tempted to chase immediate pleasure without considering the long-term cost. The danger is that we become conditioned to seek what feels good now rather than what is ultimately good for us.

David, in Psalm 17:14, warns of those who focus only on earthly rewards, saying:
"By your hand save me from such people, LORD, from those of this world whose reward is in this life."

The question is: Are we living for what is momentarily sweet, or are we storing up treasures that will last for eternity?