Now or Later

Would you rather be given $10,000 right now or $500,000 in 15 years?

Your decision might be quick and easy: $10,000 is a lot of money, but I’d be happy to wait 15 years for a guaranteed $500,000!

But after thinking on it, you might need to reconsider. It might occur to you that even $10,000 is a huge gift; since you weren’t expecting anything, this alone would be a vast amount to receive. Then you might be thinking about your current financial needs, and how much you could really use that money right now. In the end, you might choose to take the $10,000 now, even though it’s so much less than you could receive in 15 years.

Jesus never framed it in quite this way, but he often challenged his followers to think about the difference between instant gratification and an eternal mindset. Life often involves choosing between satisfying the temptations of the moment and fulfilling the long-term values of God’s kingdom. What’s most important to you–now or later?

Blessings,

Pastor Paul Cook