Genesis 25:31-34 (NLT)“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 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.
Are we giving up eternal life for momentary pleasure? Are we like Esau, knowing the heritage given to us, we forsake it, for momentary pleasure. The joy we know that is awaiting us, we fail to acknowledge it for the false assumption that our present gives us all we need. Or maybe, Esau took for granted that making such an agreement with Jacob would not hold any value. Maybe he thought the momentary pleasure carried no implication. Perhaps we are thinking the same thing and that if we carry on as usual there are no consequence to our actions. Maybe we feel we have enough time to go after that which we know is a better thing in our life. Can we take such a chance? Should we even take such a chance?
Esau gave away his birthright for a bowl of stew… This is the story of the brothers from they were in their mother’s womb, it was to be, it was their history. In Genesis 25:23 we read, “And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” That is their history which served a purpose.
What is your history?
So many of us are born into an ancestral heritage; not a heritage ordained or pre-destined by God, but one that is, because of our own choices. Do we have to assume this on ourselves? Do we really have to follow in the footsteps of our predecessors? Do we have to make the actions of others prevent us from “our” true heritage? Do the actions of people before us or even those who are with us currently need to be our story and subsequently our history?
What are you giving up today?
There may be a self fulfilling prophesy attached to your life because of people ….but you need to ask yourself- is this really the road I want to take? Do I want to give up what I know will allow me to be eternally happy starting today, for momentary pleasure and a behavior that goes against everything I know. Ask yourself – does it have to be my reality? And I tell you today – Absolutely not!!!!!
What do I do?
Look around – acknowledge your actions, identify the negatives and decide they will not be a part of you. Better yet, it is a simple matter of accepting Christ and receiving a new life. The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
When we receive Christ we become new, every ancestral heritage, every trap and ensnarement that was placed on our path, every mistake we ever made and bad choices become void and we become new.
We give up momentary pleasure for eternal life once we declare Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is not something that we relegate to a “right time.” It needs to be automatic.
What do you plan to give up today? I encourage you to give up any attachments to this world, give up hurt, anger, selfishness, constant chatter, hatred etc… And receive the Holy Spirit who will give you a transformation like no other.
One last thing… If you are feeling stuck in your life and ready to get unstuck; order a copy of my book Called to a Higher Service. I would love to hear from you and join in your journey of finding your purpose. Email me here and let’s talk about it.
