Loving Demands Sacrifice

When Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, Genesis 25:34 tells us he then despised his birthright and looked at it with contempt, believing it was worthless. His attitude was a defense for acting impulsively to satisfy his immediate hunger. We’ve all been guilty of acting impulsively, then dealing with consequences that tend to linger on indefinitely.

A young man told of an incident where he met a colleague in a bar and after several drinks, took her home and spent the night. Later he began to loathe and despise the young woman. Looking at his own weakness was too difficult to manage. Esau’s attitude should have been loaded with shame and guilt for having been so careless.

Jacob could have acted toward his brother with love by giving him the soup. Esau might have responded by expressing his gratitude and appreciation for such a loving act. When you love, you give something of yourself, of what you possess, and you show what it means to be effective as a human being whom God has blessed. God commanded that we love one another. 

Self-Respect in the Family: Hannah to Samuel - Part 3

Samuel was a man of loyalty who served Israel as a judge and priest. Near the end of his tenure the people decided they wanted a king to rule over them. Reading Samuel’s letter of resignation, I can’t help but detect sadness, hurt feelings and anger, although God assured Samuel he was not the object of their rejection.

Rejection should not diminish self-respect because it doesn’t depend on everyone loving or liking you. Self-respect is not contingent upon success or failure when integrity and honor determine a person’s choices and goals. People with self-respect are less prone to secret-keeping, guilt, regret and stress.

Samuel believed God directed his life, and he lived within the boundaries of God’s purpose for him. That doesn’t eliminate hurt feelings or grief over being rejected or displaced, yet it includes being able to flow with God’s will. Self-respect occurs when you know, and God knows, you’ve done your best and you’re satisfied with it.