Martha Olawale

In a recent conversation with my husband, we were weighing the best action on a particular business challenge. We had to make a choice that might cost us just a little more than our initial plan or risk losing so much more if we don’t. When we focused on the immediate, it felt somewhat daunting to add the extra cost but when we looked beyond the immediate to see the bigger picture, it was wiser to eliminate the unnecessary risk with a few extra bucks per month. Although our decision came at a small cost now, we knew the alternative could cost us thousands more eventually.

Oftentimes, the thought of what we can lose now can cloud what we stand to gain later. We gratify our immediate desires at the expense of the abundant joy of delayed gratification. Like most people, I don’t like the sting of antiseptic when I get a cut. However, instead of enduring just a pinch of pain to stop a small bleeding cut, I know if we ignore it, I’ll leave it to the danger of infection and engorgement.

Our life is worth more than the pleasures or pains of today. Although you can’t spend it because the worth is beyond the rough edges, a raw diamond is more valuable than the cleanest, crispiest, shiniest one-dollar note. In the same light, eternity might be a distance away but it’s far more valuable than our existence today.

If we know that the greatest gain is to make Heaven, we need to trade our pennies constantly for the matchless riches of following Christ. The hope of spending eternity with Him makes it easier to bear a few pains here and there as we journey through life. If we look beyond the immediate discomfort or short-lived delights, to think of our faith in God and all the goodies that come with it, we’ll have the strength to fight another day.

Admonishing us to honor God with how we live, Paul writes in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Our Lord Jesus is a perfect example. Because He died, we live, and millions of people across time and space get to walk the narrow path that leads to the throne of God because of His obedience.