Expediency

To quote an expressive comment: “If you want to forget your other troubles, wear a pair of shoes that pinch.” It would seem that we often permit immediate annoyances to divert our attention from things that are much more important. A toothache, for example, can seem to be about the most important thing in the world to the man whose tooth is aching. This, no doubt, is natural, but there is danger in it if we merely look for ways to relieve the symptoms rather than correct the condition that caused them. There are many other aspects of this question: Sometimes when we have an annoying ailment that hasn’t yet yielded to the common cures, we come to the point where we are willing to try almost any treatment, good or bad. But in our determination to dispose of an immediate annoyance we must not forget the possibility of doing permanent damage or of overlooking more important things. Sometimes when we are troubled with an unanswered question, we become impatient to the point of accepting any plausible answer, right or wrong. Impatient overemphasis on immediate annoyances has often caused men to follow those who offer an allegedly easy way out no matter where it ultimately leads. This was the mistake Esau made. He solved an immediate problem in what seemed to be an easy way and lost his birthright in doing it. He satisfied an appetite and served his present comfort and convenience at great future cost. It is probable that there will always be some things to detract from our complete comfort and convenience. But it wouldn’t be well to let the lesser things of life overshadow its ultimate objectives. It wouldn’t be well to become so weary of looking for the right answers that we accept the wrong ones, nor would it be well to become so absorbed in side issues that we lose sight of great and important principles. We must not be fooled by false expediency. We must never become so busy slapping at mosquitoes that we walk into the quicksand.