John 12:36-43

John 12:36-43 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We can all agree that pie is one of the greatest inventions that humans have achieved.  If I told you that you'd have pie next week, that'd be great, but what's even better than that is pie right now, warm and covered in ice cream.   Most of us, if given the choice between future pie and present pie, would choose the pie that is here and now, even if we believed that the future pie was better and worth the wait, because when there's warm pie in front of you, it's hard to say no to the temptation.
  This is what sin does.  It doesn't mind when we think about future glory, as long as we're more tempted by the present glory, even though it may be less glamorous than what is promised in the future.  The world offers us all sorts of temporary glory, and while it's far less than what God can offer, it has the advantage of being available here and now, whereas the future glory of the Kingdom of God, while eternal and beyond what the mind can grasp, is in the future and discounted in our minds. 
  And so we reach for substitutes.  We accept a thin slice of pie now, neglecting the fact that God is promising us a future filled with unlimited pie. (I know -- its not a perfect analogy, but hopefully it's clear enough)
  Part of being a faithful Christian is disciplining ourselves.  It involves sacrificing present, earthly glory so that we can prepare ourselves for eternal, future glory.  It means giving money for God's glory rather than using that money to build our earthly glory.   It means taking time to serve others who can't build our social media status rather than using that time to build a better Instagram page.  It means spending time to pray when we could be spending time to work and make more money.
  It's not that we can't do things for ourselves -- but it's the idea that we are focused forward, trusting that God's Kingdom, not fully here yet, is worth waiting for, is worth preparing for, and spending our lives doing whatever we can, even at risk of popularity and ease, to make our souls ready for what the Holy Spirit wants for us, which is better than what we want for ourselves.