"The Marshmallow Test"
I just laughed when I watched the above video! It combined two of my favorite things: children and marshmallows! I loved watching the expressions of those kids, and could feel their agony as they had to wait for something that they wanted SO badly! I could also feel their relief when their time was finally up, and they were rewarded for their patience!! The experience of observing the "test" was just priceless!
Wow, I couldn't help but apply this principle to my own life... So often in the situations of my life, I have something right in front of me that I want so badly, but I know that the timing of it may not be best... In fact, the thing itself (position, relationship, possession, etc.) may not be a bad thing, but it may not be God's VERY best at the time... HE calls me to WAIT on Him... and when I do, He promises that He will bless (two"marshmallows" instead of one :).
Do I have the self-control to "wait" when God calls me to do that? Do I have the "patience"? (See the fruit of the Spirit-- Galatians 5:22) Even when I feel like taking matters into my own hands, do I have FAITH that is greater than my FEELINGS? When I've prayed for a specific request, and I don't get a immediate "yes" or "no", do I get impatient, or do I hold out (by His grace), and wait until He does come back with an answer? Do I TRUST God that He will do what is best for HIS GLORY and MY GOOD? Wow... hard questions to answer... What about you?
It is SO hard to wait when we think we know what is best (eating that 1st marshmallow), or when we feel like it's what we need (smelling that 1st marshmallow and wanting to put it in our mouth). However, we must remember that God keeps His Word, and if we love Him and desire to obey Him, it is worth doing it GOD's WAY! Besides, who knows all the blessings He has in store?!? They are better than all the "marshmallows" I could ever wait for! :)
"The LORD is good to those who wait for him,to the soul who seeks Him."~Lamentations 3:25
2 comments:
Waiting to "eat your marshmallows" is so hard but its all worth the wait when God brings chocolate and grahams so you can make smores.
It's funny how we can watch the same thing and draw different applications.
As I watched this, all I could think is how much these kids showed our own tricky nature. We think that as long as it still LOOKS like obedience, it is. Can we sneak just a tiny bit of this now? Will she notice? If I steal just a few bites around the edge, is any harm done? Will I still get my reward? Even the pretending to gobble it down ... it cracked me up! And reminded me how God looks at our hearts.
Righteousness is not gained by what we do or what others think of us. It's about who we are and that stems directly from our thoughts and our innermost desires. God sees that, even when the door is closed and we're all alone.
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