How many times have we passed up what seems so ordinary to pursue something that flashes before us?  God grants us grace daily to address the issues before us.  He never gives us grace ahead of time.  The Bible is specific when mentioning that today’s troubles are enough without seeking extra faith for what may or may not come tomorrow.

Day by day God walks with us and together we take life as it comes.  However quite often people present us with options that seem wonderful but are costly afterwards.

There are a few examples of many to be told. 

A musical group meets weekly to rehearse songs that are enjoyable to play.  Suddenly a musician is offered a chance to audition for a prestigious spot in a well known group.  The offer is too good to be true.  The music is too advanced for that musician and he is unable to make the audition.  In the mean time his spot is filled in the original group.  He loses out on both things.  It’s not enough for him to enjoy the blessings he already has.

A politician leaves her seat vacant in order to run for a higher seat.  She is not elected for the higher seat and she is no longer eligible for her old seat.  No matter which office she seeks people remember being deserted and will elect the other candidate.

Anything that flashes in front of us that takes our attention from God’s will for us is considered the soup bowl syndrome.  Esau lost his birthright over a bowl of soup. 

Genesis 25:29-34 New Living Translation

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry.  Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”  “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”  But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.