Long Term Gain

I am again being taught an important lesson of life. I have to remember that short term gain is often a long term loss. As we watch our governments sell off our assets in order to try and fix our current deficit problems we know that in the long term they will return a greater reward. I find myself feeling very disappointed at their actions.

There have been times when I know that God is leading me down a particular path that I have mixed feelings about. It doesn’t take too many brains to work out that there are going to be difficult times ahead and I don’t like “difficult”.

I want guarantees. I want to be sure that everything will work out, no, what I am really asking for is, comfort. I want this new direction to be easy, stress free and comfortable. God reminded me of the crowds that had followed Him to the other side of the lake after He had fed the five thousand (John 6). Many of His followers walked away from Him when they found out that He was not going to be a leader who could give them all the comforts of life without the hard work that they entailed.

I realised that that’s what I am asking God to give me. The comfort without the hard work. I was focused on the short term not the long term reward.

However, as always, God is speaking to me. If He is directing me down that road that I don’t like the look of. He is asking me to trust Him and be obedient. Yes, I could say no, I will have less stress now, maybe, but what would it cost me in the long term? That is something that I cannot know at this point in time. Saying no may give me some short term gain but my long term reward could be jeopardized.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.

Challenge: Trust God for the long term and not just the short term.