The Bible says, God renews His mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22). What does it means? My brother, my sister, yes, God ensures that your “our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). But are we always in the position to be renewed? Today let’s talk about the way procrastination can stop us from being renewed by the Lord. Procrastination is when we have the habit of putting things off. In fact it is an elaborate way of finding excuses not to do something that is uninspiring or boring: it’s better and more interesting to spend 50 minutes watching a movie on TV or on the phone than going to the kitchen and wash the dish for 10 minutes and avoid leaving it until tomorrow morning, isn’t it? However, the problem is that procrastination can become a bad habit and a way of life, which does not only affect our daily life, but also our relationship with Jesus, since we will also end up putting off our time of prayer, our time of going to church, our time of reading the Word, etc.
It is simple: God gave all of us 24 hours in a day. Just ask yourself why you are always late where others are on time? Why you cannot finish something while others can? My friend, the Bible says: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son” (Proverbs 10:4-5). You see, time is a gift from God and we should use it as an opportunity to live industriously for Him. Therefore we should avoid being the lazy person who sleeps and wastes away the hours which were meant for productive work. Because procrastination brings about laziness, tiredness and other things into our lives that can lead us from a never ending spiral to spiritual disaster.
Yes my friend, if you continue putting things off it can also mean you lack discipline, you are a poor time manager and sometimes that you are disobedient to God. Look at this: “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? (Joshua 18:3). The same as we sometimes delay things because the task is boring, difficult, seems large or is unpleasant. When we feel this way we need to seek encouragement from others, concentrate fully on the task at hand, get others to help us in a team, and always remember that we are accountable for the end result. Also procrastination can just lead us to taking twice as long to achieve the task: the dish you did not wash today will be doubled tomorrow with tomorrow’s dish, isn’t it?
Yes my friend, putting things off may also mean that you lack discipline, that you are unable to manage your 24 hours and sometimes you disobey God. Look at this: “Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Joshua 18: 3). Here, Joshua asked the Israelites why they were putting off possessing of the Promised Land, where their blessings awaited them. The same for us: sometimes delay things because the task is boring, difficult, seems large or is unpleasant… while our blessings may be precisely behind that task! My friend, when you find yourself always putting off things, seek encouragement from others, concentrate fully on the task at hand, and remember that you are responsible for the end result, for God is willing to bless, but it is your responsibility to possess your blessing! Therefore, procrastination can simply lead you to take twice as long to reach the blessing that God has already released in your life: the plates that you have not washed yesterday will be doubled by those of today… Aand while the dish is not done, God is waiting for you, for He does not act where there is dirt or disorder!
As a believer of Christ, you cannot allow yourself to procrastinate about preparing your return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must not put off until tomorrow what can be done today, for fear that we may be surprised like some of the virgins. Moreover, life is not ours; it is under the exclusive and eternal control of our Heavenly Father (James 4:13-14). And the Lord Jesus illustrates this point in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12: 16-21).
So how can we overcome procrastination? First of all, by changing pur mindset: what needs to be done, has to be bone! Secondaly, by controlling our time: reduce interruptions when doing what needs to be done at that time (if it is the time allocated to take care of your children, don’t take it to speak on the phone for 1 hour!) and Thirdly, by prioritising your tasks and by giving them values. Last but not least, by setting ourselves attainable and realistic goals that we can carry out step by step. Yes my friend, by changing your attitude towards your work as that will surely give you more time to spend with the Lord too… thus things will no longer seem boring and tiring. By changing your attitude, you can learn to tackle things with enthusiasm for the sheer joy of seeing them get accomplished. Let us stop putting off the things we ought to be doing now. It is time to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and all other things in life will fit in their proper place. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.