The Gift of Delayed Gratification

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13 Something that a lot of us struggle with is delayed gratification. One of the most interesting studies conducted on this subject was undertaken by a scientist at Stanford University in 1972. Commonly known as the “marshmallow test,” it included children who were promised a small reward — a marshmallow or pretzel stick depending on their preference — immediately, or two rewards if they waited for fifteen minutes. Though it must have been taxing to stare at their prize for that long, the kids who chose the double portion ultimately got more.  In fact, those who were able to delay their