Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.….These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth….. And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.” Hebrews 11:6, 13, 39 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/heb.11.6-39.NET

Another word for delayed gratification is faith or faithfulness. We don’t do well teaching our children this virtue, which may destroy their souls if not learned. Hard work, saving, and doing what is right and good will eventually pay off, but it may take years. Waiting for Jesus, serving Him, faithfully seeking Him, and doing His will on earth as it is in heaven will garner eternal reward but may not benefit us in this life other than the joy of pleasing God we feel in our souls. God even wonders about our ability to be faithful when He asks, ‘When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith upon the earth (Luke 18.8)?’ If we seek God now only for what God can do for us today, we will most likely be sorely disappointed. God requires faithfulness, diligence, and perseverance of His people, for this is how He has engaged humanity since we fell from the garden of God. A new world awaits that will be full of love, joy, and peace, but it will be inhabited only by those who persevered in this world by loving God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength and loved their neighbor as themselves. It is the faithful who will live forever. We must teach our children to persevere and not quit despite their difficulties.