“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is my birthright to me?”
Over the years, we have seemed to acquire lots of extra things from games, to clothes, to furniture. We look around and want to clean the house from time to time. For us, the daunting task is pictures. So many pictures. The thought of organizing them is overwhelming. On one hand, we want to clean up, but that would mean separating some picture rolls that need to stay together. On the other hand, lots of pictures have multiple girls, so how do you organize them? One day we will climb this organizing mountain, but along the way, we cannot just get rid of pictures. Everyone has a thousand moments wrapped up into a 4×6 photo.
You don’t have to be in church long to get the story of Jacob and Esau. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for some stew. In those days, a birthright was a huge thing. The firstborn would get the lion’s share of the inheritance when the father passed away. It was a very special thing and held in high regard for young men. We find Esau selling it over a bowl of stew. Kind of trivial. Why would you sell your birthright over a bowl of stew? Was it not a big thing for Esau? Did he not want to inherit his father’s things? Was he going rogue and casting the family aside? The story denies all that and reveals he simply was super hungry and, at that moment, did not see the value in it at all.
You remember those pictures? Well, when they are in a pile and we are in cleaning mode, it would seem good to just throw them in a pile and hide them away to a place we cannot see or better yet, just toss them in the garbage; cleaning done! In the moment, under pressure to clean up, those pictures don’t mean much. But if I threw any of them away, I would be sleeping on the couch for the rest of my life.
Be careful not to disregard what God has put in your life. For Esau, the Lord had placed him as the firstborn, but he sold his place in the family for a bowl of stew. The people who are in your life may be from the Lord and are potentially there for a reason. Your parents, your boss, your job, and your family can all be used by the Lord for a purpose in your life. Don’t let the momentary issues of life drive you to push away what God has put in your life. Take time to overcome momentary temptations that may cause you to stray from following the Lord. “What good is it?” It may just be the thing that changes your life. Don’t pull an Esau! Value everything the Lord gives you.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for everything and everyone around me in this season. Help me to value what you have blessed me with and not throw it away for a temporary moment of gratification like Esau. I choose to stay the course you have set before me being grateful in every small moment. In Jesus name, amen.
Let It Go 
Leave a comment