Just about everyone knows the story of Jacob and Esau, but not everyone thinks of it in relation to dating, waiting and marriage!
Confused? Don't worry! Let's take a look at the story one more time and see if we can find any analogies:
Esau and Jacob were two brothers just about as different as night and day. Esau was the "outdoorsey" (yes, I know that's not a real word) type and loved hunting, while Jacob was the "indoorsey" (yes, I know that's not a real word either) type and loved to do things about the house like cooking - which is where the story gets interesting.
One day, Esau came home after a long and fruitless day of hunting. Being a tall, strong and athletic kind of guy, he no doubt normally ate like a horse, so we can imagine he must have been famished. He was downright desperate for food! Jacob, being a sly, sneaky kind of guy, picked up on this. He talked Esau into trading his birthright (a.k.a. his entire inheritance - which was no small thing) for......... a bowl of stew.
Pretty anticlimactic, huh?
Hold on a minute though, is it possible we can identify with Esau? Let's face it: we've all been starving (okay, maybe not literally) at least once in our lives. I bet that stew tasted really good, but I wonder how Esau felt once the hunger pains were gone. What went through his mind as the realization of what he had given up hit him full force? Esau wasn't looking at the big picture, he was just looking for gratification right now. The consequence? He lost something precious that he would never ever be able to get back..... all for a bowl of stew.
Do you see my point?
How many of us young men and women today are Esaus? We're so desperate for attention and affirmation from the opposite ex, that we're willing to give away precious gifts to people who have no right to them. When we prematurely partake in something like kissing or taking the final step with someone who isn't our spouse, we are giving up something precious that can never ever be taken back...... all for gratification of the moment.
This is a touchy subject, I know, and it doesn't mean you're not a Christian if you believe in dating or think it's okay to kiss or take the final step with someone else. What I'm trying to convey to you is the sobering reality about what hangs in the balance - your purity.
The last thing I want is for you to suddenly, like Esau, realize, too late, that you have given one of the most sacred things in your life away for something as temporary as now. Let's think twice before we give in - the results will be worth it!
"Therefor, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Ephesians 5:17
In Christ,
Elaina
