Have you ever been to a public protest? If so, you've probably heard some chanting.

Usually the leader is equipped with a bullhorn and yells out, "What do we want?!" Then the people respond with their demand. Then the leader says, "When do we want it?" And the people reply, "Now!"

I think this is slowly becoming the mantra of our society. Whatever we want, we want it…

Now!

I recall a story that I heard about Halloween several years ago. A man's doorbell rang, and he went to answer it expecting some kids. But instead, he found a full-grown woman. "It's for my daughter," she said, as if offering an apology and explanation.

Apparently, it was really cold that night. So, the mom — not wanting to deprive her daughter of the unbearable suffering that would surely come with trick-or-treating in the chilly weather — drove the daughter around in her car. The daughter didn't even get dressed up. Instead, the girl just sat there in the car while her mom got a costume on and went door-to-door on her behalf! To top it all off, the daughter fell asleep! When she woke up, she would have a bag full of candy and an exhausted mommy.

I have a theory: The more instantly gratified we are, the less permanently satisfied we are.

Truth is, it's so easy to buy into instant gratification these days. Credit cards give us the impression that we can afford things (which we can't); social media gives us the impression that everyone is having a good time every single day (which they're not); and commercials give us the impression that life is all about satisfying our various appetites (which it's not).

But the more that we cave in to instant gratification, the more that we feed a life of ingratitude.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't indulge ourselves sometimes. In fact, I probably do it a bit more than I should! But when instant gratification becomes a daily habit, we become less thankful, less disciplined, and start to feel entitled to more than our share.

The more instantly gratified we are, the less permanently satisfied we are.

Psalm 118:24 – This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (ESV)

Right now, let's be content. Be thankful. Today is already enough!

Prayer: Lord, grant us the gift of contentment. Help us to be truly thankful for what we have. Amen.

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About the author:

Matthew Ruttan <matthew@matthewruttan.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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