Delayed Glorification

One of the things we as a society have pretty much eliminated is the ability to delay our gratification. Whether it be a burger or a standard of living, we want what we want now!

This attitude has had all kinds of ill effects. We save less money than our parents did and we quit on things a lot sooner than people used to.

In the Old Testament book of Ruth, there is the wonderful story of Boaz who because of his patient nature was blessed beyond his every dream. Boaz was an older man who deferred taking the woman he loved in order to carefully follow the commands of God.

• He waited for Ruth to come to him so as not to put undue pressure on her.
• He allowed another man his rightful place in taking her as wife, before presenting himself.
• He restrained himself until the marriage was legalized before being intimate with her.

We read that because he was able to delay his desires and needs, God gave him a faithful wife to comfort him, a son for his old age and a mother-in-law to serve in his household. Many years after his death, the Bible tells us that one of his descendants, David, became a great King of Israel.

Practicing delayed gratification allows God to bless us with his best gifts. It also leads to delayed glorification, where God is honored and we are still being blessed long after our desires and lives are over. Who knows what great things God will create in the future out of a little patience from us now?