instant gratification

What do you want ?? Maybe it’s an invitation, making the team, getting the job, earning the approval of your parents or friends, getting married, or graduating college. Truth is, we all know how to get what we want… one way or another.

As babies, we would yell & cry to tell our mom we were hungry. Our cries would get louder until the need was met. In lower school, we would ask permission to invite a friend over. If that approval was refused, we’d whine or pout about it. With time and experience, you & I became more independent; we learned how to bring our desires to fruition without the help of our parents. We even got bold enough to manipulate, tell a white lie, or beat around the bush to get what we wanted. The point is, you’re always gonna find a way to communicate & accomplish the things you desire most.

Let me give you the definition for instant gratification:: pleasure gained from fulfilling a new desire or goal. Our world pours endless time & energy into providing quick & easy access to anything & everything. We turn on a faucet & get clean water. We flip a switch & light instantly fills the room. The microwave gave us the ability to cook food faster. Most noticeably though is our quick & easy access to communication. We can talk to whoever, whenever, however. You can text or call or use Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter… you name it!

Some of us, myself included, often find ourselves living for that temporary rush of satisfaction. Many commit their life to accumulating one accolade after another when there’s a far more satisfying option in Jesus. So when the Lord calls us to patience & discipline, we’re hesitant to sacrifice the simplicity & predictability the world offers. I’ve tried both ways & let me assure you, Jesus is better. The fulfillment I get from living for Him exceeds a moment, lasting a lifetime.

I wanna do two things with this:: first let’s identify the obvious conflict between culture & truth. Then, we’ll talk about how a believer should respond to that conflict.

SPIRITUAL ISSUES WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Instant gratification answers this question: “What do I need to do to get what I want when I want it ??” So let’s break it down piece by piece and pull these issues out by their roots.

A:: “what do I need to do ??”

The problem:: PRIDE

You’re more dependent on your own effort than you are confident in the Lord’s ability to work faithfully & fruitfully in your life.

B:: “what I want”

The problem:: SELFISHNESS

The Lord has called us to a pursuit of righteousness. That’s the lifelong decision to spend each day aiming to live more like Jesus. Our sinful, natural inclination is to pursue pleasures instead of righteousness. Without Jesus Christ, my time & energy would be fully devoted to the things Mary Ann wants to do. I would engage in an endless cycle of competitive thinking. I would waste my days away watching Netflix. My pride would take over. BUT when I became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), the Lord renewed my desires too. So now, it’s my desire to live intentionally and to exhibit fruits of the Spirit. That’s a strange desire. That requires humility, discipline, and sacrifice. It commands commitment. It accepts the reality that the world will not celebrate my decisions or lifestyle. Why do I willingly make that decision day after day? Because for me the pursuit of righteousness is exceedingly more fulfilling and fruitful than pursuing pleasures. I’ve fixed my eyes on eternity and the things of this world just can’t satisfy me any more.

C:: “when I want”

The problem:: IMPATIENCE

!! This one hits home for me !!

We won’t to wait for God’s best. We choose timeliness over quality. We stubbornly yet wholeheartedly believe that our timing is best. Impatience can become a roadblock between our current state & spiritual growth. Instead of looking to God’s Word for wisdom & counsel, we’re quick to consult our favorite Christian author’s opinion on the issue at hand. We stop seeking God first because we don’t “have time” to wait for His answer. We don’t do the deep digging anymore. We want answers but won’t put in the discipline. Think about the most influential lesson you’ve learned in your spiritual journey. Perhaps that moment was prompted by a speaker or author, but I can guarantee you the heart transformation that took place consequentially was a result of discipline, stillness, seeking, and patience.

HOW DOES THIS ALTER THE BELIEVER’S LIFESTYLE

Instant gratification obviously makes living selfless & sacrificial difficult. It breeds pride, selfishness, & impatience. The good news is we aren’t trapped in an endless cycle of mundaneness or striving. What if we altered the original question to something like this:: “I can trust the Lord to give me what I need whenever He sees fit.” That certainly changes the equation!

A:: I can trust the Lord

The solution:: HUMILITY

This is the first step to freedom! Give the Lord control. I could go on forever on this one, so if you wanna read more check THIS out!!

B:: what I need

The solution:: FAITH

Notice that the word want has been replaced with need. The 23 Psalm says that when we rely on the Lord as our Shepherd, we are never left in want. Now, that doesn’t mean he will grant your every desire. It means you can trust Him to meet your needs & He knows those needs better than we do. John 10:11-17 says that our Good Shepherd is devoted to his flock and knows each sheep intimately. You can trust Him. Give him authority over your needs AND desires.

C:: whenever He sees fit

The solution:: PATIENCE

We all face the temptation to want “a little more.” We want just one more piece of cake. We want just 10 more minutes of sleep. We want one day of the week without expectations or due dates. Proverbs 6:10 teaches us that when we give in to “just a little more,” we end up giving in to a whole lot more than we intended. Learn to incline your ear more toward the voice of God than the voice of self-indulgence. When you realize HE is always enough, you’ll never need “a little more” of anything this world has to offer. In His most perfect timing, he will provide. When we choose patience, we’re creating room for growth & increasing in faith.

THE CHALLENGE:: This week, find one tangible way to disconnect from the temptation to give in to instant gratification.

For me, it’s been so beneficial to delete social media. Start with ONE platform.****actually DELETE the app; don’t just set time restrictions !!

Then, with that new free time, implement something else. (If you aren’t intentional, you’ll fill that time with distractions & laziness will take over.) I’m telling you, this discipline will open the door to new freedom & intentionality. I’ve recently given up Netflix & Snapchat. With that free time, I’ve been able to spend more time with people and more meaningful time in the Word.