We’ve all heard stories of someone who seemed to throw away everything in a moment of lust or indiscretion. How easy it is, in a moment of intensity, to give away something precious. Some give away their sexuality. Others, their sobriety. Some give away their family, while others give away their integrity. In a moment when want and desire seem to outweigh everything else, it’s easy to trade our treasure for trash. (James 1:14) (1 John 2:16)
This is what happens to Esau in Genesis chapter 25. Esau comes in from a day of hunting, and he is very hungry. He asks his brother for some of the soup he’s preparing. Jacob offers to trade Esau the soup for his birthright. Esau’s birthright was his favored position in the family as the firstborn. His birthright included a larger part of the inheritance and a special status in the family.
Driven by his hunger and his impatience, Esau flippantly trades his favored position for some bean soup. He was unable to say “no” to the temptation because he was more concerned about the short-term gratification than the long-term glorification.
We have a birthright in Christ. We have His wonderful promise of power, provision, and possibilities. But in this culture of instant gratification, it’s easy to give into our screaming flesh and not consider all our Heavenly Father wants to give us.
How often do you trade the sumptuous fare of the Father for the simple bean soup of the world? How often do you settle for short-term gratification in this world, rather than long-term glorification in Christ? What’s one decision you could make to turn that around?
Bret Legg is the Teaching and Counseling Pastor at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, GA.