It is unfortunate that more often than not, people do not see the need to defer gratification. At a point in a person’s life, he or she must defer gratification in order to succeed in this world and in the hereafter. This truth must sink into the heart of every Christian, especially the younger generation.
People want to enjoy everything right now! The reality is that there is no gain without pain.
Even our salvation which some people mistakenly describe as “free”. Though it free to all every but was paid for by the Saviour. He agonised on the cross to procure our liberty. Whether in the temporal or eternal realm, gratification requires deferment.
The moment Daniel the prophet and his brethren matriculated into the University of Babylon, caterers were assigned to feed them with all sorts of delicacies, including the royal wine, but Daniel deferred these fringe benefits in order to excel.
This process made Daniel eventually enjoyed the largesse of occupying a high office after he and his colleagues graduated and became ministers in the king’s cabinet.
This is the reward of deferring pleasure.
Unfortunately, some children of God refuse to postpone enjoyment in the present world for eternal bliss in the world to come.
Even our Lord Jesus Christ deferred the pleasure of food and chose to suffer hunger when the devil told Him to turn stone into bread.
This was what Esau could not do, and he sold his birthright for a meal.
For you to make it to heaven, you need to let go certain things that may not necessarily be sinful but may constitute a hindrance to your spiritual growth and cause you to be vulnerable to sin and its enticing things.
Learn to be like Apostle Paul who considered as being worthless those things which should have been valuable to him, so that he could attain the high calling of God.