Dave Ramsey has a famous quote that he says very often, “If you live like no one else now, later you can live and give like no one else.” For Ramsey, he is encouraging people to make a financial plan that involves sacrificing early by being intentional in eliminating debt so that later on, you are debt-free and have money to enjoy. He is talking about taking control of our finances, but his quote can overflow into all areas of our lives. It is important in our lives that we don’t just choose what is “now” over what is “best.” How many times do we start a new diet only to choose that amazing bowl of ice cream that is right in front of us? Or we want to be committed to accomplishing things at home, but we find ourselves splurging through social media or vegging out on television? Many times, we falter to what’s “now” instead of what’s “best.”
We see this backfire tremendously on a brother in the Old Testament. Esau was an avid hunter. He was the oldest brother in the family. Jacob was younger and enjoyed staying at home. One day Esau came home, exhausted from his time out in the field. He was starving and Jacob had made some stew.
“Esau said to Jacob, ‘I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!’ ‘All right,’ Jacob replied, ‘but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.’ ‘Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?’ But Jacob said, ‘First you must swear that your birthright is mine.’ So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn son to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn. Genesis 25:30-34
Being born first was a big deal during this time period. There were a lot of benefits provided to the firstborn son. A birthright was a special honor given to the firstborn which included a double portion of the family inheritance along with the place of becoming the family’s leader one day. Esau traded his lasting benefits of being the firstborn with immediate pleasure. We look at him and think, “How in the world could you do that? Don’t you realize the long-term benefits you are giving up in order to have a bowl of stew right now?” But yet, in the same situation we might make the same choice. It’s hard sometimes to think about the future ramifications when that immediate gratification is staring us in the face. It’s hard to think about future blessings when we can experience immediate satisfaction. There are so many times where I can choose the immediate pleasure without considering the long-term consequences.
It is important that we think through how each decision will affect our future. Sometimes we get into auto-pilot mode and don’t consider the future. Sometimes we exaggerate our current conditions as Esau did, and make poor choices. Whether we are looking at our finances, spiritual disciplines, physical fitness, or many other areas, it is so important to take a moment and truly measure the immediate impact against the long term impact. May we be able to remember this story of Esau and truly make decisions that will positively affect our future, not just our next five minutes.
This devotional was written by Amy Carrico of Making the Moments Matter. Click HERE to follow her on Facebook!
Last Updated on January 27, 2025
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