Are you future-driven or belly-driven?

Recently, I read about Esau and Jacob and they represent the two different types of people we are having on earth today. They also represent the two major ways of life we are having in the midst of the earth in this day and time: ‘Esau’ and ‘Jacob.’ There is a way of life called Esau and there is a way of life called Jacob.

Those who pattern their lives after the model called ‘Esau’ are usually belly-driven while those who enjoy working-out in shoe-leather the model called ‘Jacob’ are usually future-driven. What was controlling Esau was hunger, but the question is; what is it that is controlling you in the now? Sex? Food? Money?

Esau could not handle hunger, thus making him to ultimately merchandise the privileges that come with his position in the family. What is it that you cannot handle that is making you to merchandise your future? Every decision you make to solve a momentary problem without thinking about your future and that of those coming out of your loins later, you are not solving any problem, you are actually creating future problems for yourself and generations unborn.

Esau merchandized his future because he could not delay enjoyment, pleasure, gratification and satisfaction. Can you also delay gratification today? How many of us can say authoritatively that we are in-charge of our bellies and emotions? Esau’s belly pushed him to make a decision that impacted negatively on his future, enslaving generations unborn.

Many people do not know the gravity of their day to day decisions. Like Esau, many are satisfying the moment, betraying unborn generations after them. He made a decision to solve a momentary problem, compromising the future of everyone who later came out of his loins. When those who came out of him later became slaves, it was from the thoughtless-decision that Esau made on the day he couldn’t handle the momentary problem of hunger!

Many people are unwittingly making crucial-decisions without realizing the far-reaching implications of what they are doing. What I am teaching right now will help you to be more future-conscious, going forward. From this moment, all your decisions must start favoring everyone—who will be coming out of you in the days to come. This is very imperative and important!

Food, sex and money become secondary to everyone who is future-driven. You cannot afford to make decisions to make money at the expense of those coming out of you in the days to come. And you cannot afford to satisfy your sexual urge at the expense of your future and that of everyone who has been pre-planned to come out of your loins in the days to come. As the body is not for food alone, so also the body is not for sexual decadence and depravity. Every decision you make will either impact negatively or positively on every generation after you. If many of us were future-conscious, we would have decided differently on many issues.

For the umpteenth time, we cannot afford to solve momentary problems without being conscious of the generations coming after us. The question is; what transitory problems are you trying to solve today that will impact negatively on those coming out of you in the days to come?

Before making the next decision, ask yourself this question: Is this decision going to make me trade away my future and the corporate-future of everyone coming out of me? Decisions are very powerful, but many make them without attaching much seriousness to them. This has led to the undoing of many folks!

When we understand the issue before us today, we would allow hunger to have its way today, so we can learn to both abase and abound, so that generations down the line of time will not become disadvantaged—as an effect of us wanting to solve the problem of exhaustion, being blind to the future. Hunger is being used as an allegory here. It represents things that we do that take away our privileges.

As soon as Esau traded his birthright with Jacob, he actually traded away his privileges as the first born of Isaac! Many of us today want to eat our cake and have it. Remember, you cannot merchandise your future and still want to access the privileges that those who are future-driven are attracting.

When you want to make the next decision, ask yourself this question: am I merchandising my future and the corporate-future of my unborn generations or not? Also, many of us today do not know the implication of what we are doing. We do not know the far-reaching effect of all our decisions today.

While we are doing what we are doing today, are we selling-out our children or not? Are your decisions going to enslave or empower generations coming after you? When Esau was eating that bread and stew, he was unwittingly making servants out of the nation that was to come out of him, not leaders.

What’s the long-term implication of the momentary problem you are trying to solve right now? Those who are future-driven are always conscious of those coming out of their loins, each time they want to make a decision! Each time you want to make a decision, always think of its impact on your future and the future of those coming out of you.

Like Esau, many folks’ value-system is very warped. Esau traded what was higher in value with what was lower in value! He traded what was bigger in size with what was smaller in size. God hates this kind of value system; you should hate it, too! Gaining the whole world at the expense of your soul makes you an Esau. It shows your value-system is faulty.

Also, make sure you marry Jacob, not Esau! The Esau-man/woman thinks about now, but he or she is not future-driven. He or she just wants to satisfy himself or herself right now and does not care a hoot on whether what he or she wants to do will enslave those coming after him or her or not! Many children are disadvantaged today because their parents could not delay gratification!

Lastly, are your decisions going to cause generations unborn to be disadvantaged? As either a political or religious leader, are your decisions today going to impact negatively or positively on the future of the unborn generations of Nigerians? Answering these two questions and more will open your eyes and you will be able to know whether you are future-driven or belly-driven. Till I see you again next week Monday, see you where future-driven leaders are found!

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