Master Self-Discipline: How To Practice Delayed Gratification Daily

All of those moments were temporary impulses to an internal need masked as a craving. Usually in the physical body, when you crave a certain food like chocolate, your body doesn’t actually need the chocolate. 

Your body may just be hungry or in need of magnesium. But because you’ve practiced giving your body chocolate, it craves it to fulfill the need you have.

Delayed gratification is important because it not only helps you to learn about yourself, but it encourages you to reflect on the why behind your actions. 

It also helps you unlearn bad habits and replace them with healthier alternatives. Think about how much better your life will be once you learn to put delayed gratification into practice.

Reflection Question: What areas in your life do you need to practice delayed gratification?

Incredible Benefits Of Practicing Delayed Gratification

There are five benefits of practicing delayed gratification that are beneficial to fulfilling your God-given purpose. 

 1. Prioritization

Matthew 6:33 NIV-Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. 

Purpose is what drives life forward. It gives everything its meaning because it’s the reason why something exists. Discovering the purpose of your existence will help you to structure your life in a way that simplifies everything. 

Until now, your priorities may have been based around survival. You may be trying to balance providing for yourself and your family all while improving the quality of your life.

Things like food, cars, clothes, homes, bills, and all the things you work so hard for, were meant to be a by-product of your life; not the sole focus of it. 

It’s hard when the pressure feels like it’s all on you, but what if it didn’t have to be? What if all of the basic necessities; even your deepest desires were already provided for you? 

The truth is, they are. Everything you will ever need is wrapped up in what God has said to seek in Matthew 6:33.

When you prioritize your life and put Kingdom and righteousness first, the promise is that all things will be added to you. 

Reflection Question: Will you take the time to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness?

2. Repentance

Matthew 4:17 NKJV-From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. 

Everything you go through will be used for your purpose even the things that seemed completely wrong. Not a single thing, you have experienced has been overlooked or ignored by God.

The word repent simply means to change your mind and shift your perspective. Instead of seeing yourself a victim of life, start viewing your life and circumstances through the lens of purpose.  

God may not have stopped the negative things from happening or changed your environment yet, but you still have a chance to see it from His angle.

Think about how Joseph chose to view his brothers selling him into slavery. Yes, he wrestled with his emotions, but in the end he took on the perspective that God meant it for good and not evil (See Genesis 37, 39-50).

Instead of complaining, begin to thank God for the little blessings in your life and the things to come. Thanking God for will change your perspective.

It will help you to understand that this life is about purpose and you are in the midst of it. 

Reflection Question: What’s one thing you can thank God for right now?

(Check out this post to learn ways to practice gratitude)

3. A Renewed Mind

Romans 12:1-2 NIV-Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Delayed gratification allows the Holy Spirit time to transform your mind to think and live as you were created to. It allows Him to guide you back to the original way of living.

Much of what’s allowed today is contrary to God’s original design for humanity. The dreams you had as a child are overshadowed by the pressure to survive. 

You’re told that the key to lose weight and stay full is to eat an immense amount of protein. Sex is removed from the sacred container of marriage and abused in many ways.

Emotions are suppressed in both men and women because everyone is afraid of getting hurt without taking the proper time to heal.

Men are with men, women are with women, and animals are protected while babies are killed before they get a chance at life. So much in this culture that is so far away from God’s original design for humanity.

It’s absolutely vital that you allow Him to renew your mind especially where purpose is concerned.

Encouragement: Wherever you are isn’t too far for God. Whatever you’ve done doesn’t disqualify you. Trust me!

4. Obedience

1 John 5:3 NKJV-For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 

The word obedience often carries a stigma, especially for adults. I used to struggle with it too until I understood its purpose (and I still have to remind myself of it).

But think about it this way: Why do you expect your children or employees to obey you if you aren’t submitted to the authority of God?

You might say: “Well, because their my children or I’m their boss”. But no matter how old you get, you’ll always be God’s child and governed by His authority in one way or another. 

Obedience to God isn’t about control; it’s actually about freedom and it’s for your benefit.

Reflection Question: You have no problem obeying your boss or following the system that pays you, so why not obey the One who has given you life?

(For more on the subject of obedience, see this post)

5. Self-Control

2 Timothy 1:7 BSB-For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control. 

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and if you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God is living inside of you. 

The funny thing about the fruit of the Spirit is that people think these fruit are outside of their reach. People pray for love, joy, peace, patience, and so on not realizing that it’s already in them. 

Think about it: If you plant an apple tree and cultivate the soil properly; you don’t need to pray for apples, they will come naturally. 

Now consider your own growth: Do you think that your parents or guardians had to pray for you to grow into a teen or adult (physically speaking)? 

Of course not. No one had to pray for you to grow because you were designed to grow. 

In the same way, as you work the ground of your heart through obedience and delayed gratification, self control will grow in you.

You may not be able to change your external circumstances right now, but you can absolutely partner with God on your character. 

Reflection Question: What if your environment will only change depending upon how you’re able to change your mind?

What Are Some Everyday Delayed Gratification Examples

Here is some examples of delayed gratification to give you an idea of what it could look like in your life:

1. Saving for a vacation
2. Biting your tongue when you’re angry
3. Skipping out on foods that won’t add nutritional value to your body
4. Going to college to get a degree
5. Practicing your craft without earning money for it
6. Waiting on the Lord to answer you in prayer
7. Not saying “I told you so” even though they didnt listen to you
8. Exercising
9. Studying
10. Disciplining your kids
11. Learning about the Kingdom
12. Investing time in a relationship
13. Getting married and learning your spouse
14. Renewing your mind
15. Understanding yourself
16. Learning to be intimate
17. Getting to know God again
18. Trying new foods
19. Losing weight
20. Forgiving someone or someone forgiving you
21. Waiting to have sex
22. Forgiving yourself
23. Changing your diet
24. Setting boundaries
25. Training a dog
26. Winning a reward
27. Making a profit
28. Building a house
29. Growing a garden
30. Fasting results
31. Prayer
32. Labor and meeting your baby
33. Making new friends
34. Getting pregnant after settling down in marriage
35. Moving out of your parents house
36. Healing from past trauma
37. Living out your dream