Our culture has long promoted the “instant gratification” mindset. We do not want to wait, we want to have our desires realized now. We have credit cards to buy things for which we have yet to earn the money to pay for them. No down payment home loans allow us to move into our own house before we save enough money for a down payment. We can cook our food with microwaves, pay for our gas at the pump, and instantly download music, books, and movies from the internet.
It is not always wrong to receive what we want instantly, but we must guard ourselves against becoming accustomed to that mindset. Expecting the things we want immediately, rather than having to patiently wait for some things, can lead to sin.
Satan tries to use this mentality against us. He tells us not to wait for God’s plan, but to indulge ourselves now. Why wait for marriage when we can engage in sexual relations now? Why wait for riches in heaven when we can pursue riches here using any means necessary? He wants us to give up God’s reward that will come later in the hopes of obtaining an inferior reward now. Sadly, this tactic works against many people.
Satan tried to use this tactic against Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness.
“Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only”’” (Matthew 4:8-10).
Jesus would later receive a kingdom that would “never be destroyed” but would “endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). Assuming the devil would be able to deliver on his promise, he would give Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the Earth. However, Jesus would have to worship the devil to receive them, but He would not have to endure the cross. Satan offered an easier way. Fortunately, Jesus did not fall for the devil’s trick. Even if Satan delivered all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, this rule would only be temporary. The crown will not endure forever (Proverbs 27:24). But Jesus, by completing God’s plan, would receive an everlasting kingdom.
Satan also used this line of attack against Moses. Moses is listed among the great examples of faith in Hebrews 11 for the choice he made in response to this temptation.
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).
Moses’ choice was similar to Jesus’ in His temptation in the wilderness. There were two options available to Moses that would bring a reward. One reward included the treasures of Egypt. The requirement to receive this was to reject his brethren and remain loyal to Pharaoh. The other reward was greater. But with it came ill-treatment and reproach. Moses chose the greater reward that would come later, even after his death. We must have the same faith as Moses so we do not trade in our future reward for a poor substitute that is offered to us now.
Patience is a Virtue
Knowing that Satan appeals to our desire for instant gratification, how do we overcome this mentality and avoid sin?
We often hear the phrase: patience is a virtue. This is a Biblical sentiment. Peter mentions patience as one of the characteristics we are to add to our faith (2 Peter 1:6). After listing all the qualities we are to possess, he says, “As long as you practice these things, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10).
Having patience, therefore, will help us to avoid sin. God will reward us far more than anything we could hope to have in this life. We need to trust Him and wait for His reward, rather than throwing it away in order to have our own desires now. Remember the example of Job:
“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” (James 5:11).
Job suffered greatly, far more than most of us will suffer today. Yet he was patient and was ultimately rewarded by God. As wealthy as he was before his trials, the Scriptures tell us, “the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12).
We may not see a great reward in the physical sense as Job did. We are waiting for something far better – “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). We must trust in God and His promises rather than indulge ourselves now for hopes that are inferior, temporary, and often an illusion.
Summary
Sin promises an immediate reward. This is appealing to a world that has been conditioned to expect instant gratification. If you are to overcome sin, you must learn patience. Trust in God and the great reward that He has promised. Recognize that taking Satan’s shortcuts will, at best, leave you with an inferior and temporary reward.
This material is taken from the book, The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome, published by Gospel Armory, © 2010.
