Suffering as a Preparation for Something Greater

Delayed gratification is “the ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward” (Wikipedia).

Examples:

1. On a diet

   

   I can eat the chocolate bar (instant gratification), or I can resist the temptation now and have a favorable reading on the scale later (delayed gratification).

2. Study habits

   

   I can party with my friends, pass notes, and daydream during class (instant gratification), or I can pay attention in class and study hard now so that I can attend the college of my choice later (delayed gratification).

Needless to say, it is easier to delay gratification when you know that the gratification will eventually come. A third grader may not really understand or care why it is so important to succeed in school. University is many years away, and college applications are not on his mind yet!

However, in real life, we often don’t know when the gratification will come. We see only the sacrifice and denial of the moment. We wonder if the good will ever arrive.

All For the Best

Part of Bitachon is the belief that everything Hashem does is ultimately for the good. I may not see how it is good right now, but I know and trust that it is part of a good plan.

Pain and difficulty may be the precursor to something wonderful. Sometimes the disappointment is even an essential element of the future surprise. The challenge is that we don’t know when or how the good will surface. Additionally, we do not have a choice whether to delay gratification; God has chosen to delay it for us!

The following is a true story, related to me in an email from one of my readers:

I interviewed for a job and lost out to someone who had worked for someone who worked for me and was upset that this company could have had so much more if they would have picked me.

Instead, I took another wonderful job a year later where I really grew professionally and had the opportunity to develop programs that are very much in demand today.

Oh, the company that didn’t hire me?  Lehman Brothers collapsed into bankruptcy just a short time later…and how lucky I was not to have that name on my resume!

Practical Bitachon

1. Recall a situation which looked bad, but was necessary for a future good. Keep your eyes open - this happens all the time in big and small ways!

2. When something bad or unpleasant happens, remember that it may be an essential component of a great master plan!

3. Everything Hashem does is for the best, even if I don’t see it right now!

See also the earlier articles in this series:

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People - Why not?  
The Secret to Dealing With Perceived Injustice in This World  
5 Reasons That Good People Suffer (Part 2 of The Secret to Dealing with Perceived Injustice in This World)  
Tools of the Trade  
Come Close to Me: Drawing Near to God Through Suffering