I'm sure you're all familiar with the Old Testament story of Jacob & Esau. Esau, in a moment of impulsivity, gave his birthright to his younger brother Jacob in order to get some food to fill his hungry belly. Something he greatly desired at that moment. He wasn't thinking into the future, only about the desire for the moment. Jacob wasn't innocent in this, though. He was a manipulator throughout the entire thing.
Fast forward to the Brogdon house, 2011.
For Christmas, the boys got a rather large lego set to share. They had been looking forward to putting this set together since Christmas morning. Yesterday, they opened the box to begin. Lucas and Jacob started arguing over who was going to put the trailer of the truck together. Lucas had been "wanting since he saw the box" to do it, but Jacob insisted that he was "good enough to do it." This went on ALL. DAY. LONG.
(I must insert here that Noah was happily putting together the smallest portion of the set and was in no way involved in this brotherly disagreement)
Until finally, sometime later in the afternoon, I heard the following conversation.
Lucas: Jacob, please let me put the trailer together.
Jacob: NO.
Lucas: PLEASE?!?!
Jacob: Okay, you can put it together, but you have to clean my whole room.
Lucas: Okay. Deal.
Jacob: Deal.
Lucas clearly wasn't looking into the future. He was only thinking about what he desired in that moment.
Jacob, wasn't innocent in this, though. He definitely knew what he was doing when he made that deal.
This morning the deal is being completed. Lucas is not happy about this. (I wouldn't be either. Jacob & Noah share a room and it is a disaster!) But he is learning a lesson about making decisions, thinking ahead, and fulfilling promises made. (though he insists he did not PROMISE. He just made a deal.)
Our modern day Jacob & Esau story is done.
All this analogy has made me think. How many times do I make a decision based on my momentary desires? Do I stop and consider future effects of my decisions? On the other side of the story, how much do I try to manipulate circumstances to fulfill these desires? How many times do I try to help God out by taking things into my own hands?
If I'm honest, I have to say I'm not good at thinking ahead and I certainly have been known to manipulate and take control of something to "help God out" a bit.
Hmmm ..... maybe I have something to learn from Jacob & Esau myself.
