Procrastination: January 24, 2014

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 24, 2014

PROCRASTINATION

DEFINITION:

To defer action; delay; to put off until another time.

SCRIPTURE:

Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Procrastination can be a form of bondage in a person’s life, but the Lord, who wants the best for His followers, did not design us to be enslaved. We have heard believers in Jesus say that they are “born procrastinators,” but according to the scriptures that is impossible.

Procrastination has several common causes. The first is the attempt one tries to dodge discomfort. Many people put off taking action on a bothering situation because they feel uncomfortable or anxious about the ramifications of the issue.

We read about Paul before Felix in Acts 24:24-27. He sent Paul away from his court fearing the apostles talk about righteousness, self-control and judgment. This can also show up in our lives. Have you ever put off your Bible reading, meditation and prayer because you were afraid God would bring to surface a matter you needed to confront?

Issues like pride, self-control, or guilt may not be comfortable to face, but dodging them obstructs God’s purpose in our life. So our Lord does not want us to procrastinate because we are trying to dodge discomfort.

The second cause that comes to mind, for putting things off is the problem of self-doubt. Many people feel inadequate to complete a job so they choose not to begin. They also fear that they may make a mistake or just fail. This makes postponing a preferable option for many people.

It is important for us to realize that procrastination is not a laughing matter nor should we just sit back and procrastinate. In our spiritual life delaying an assignment from God is the same as disobeying Him. If you are prone to delay you need to identify the problem areas in your life and the feelings that accompany them. Then confess your tendency to the Lord and rely on God’s strength to overcome them.

As parents of six we saw a lot of procrastination from our children. When there were chores they did not like to do, they would procrastinate and put off doing them as long as they felt they could get away with it. We understand, because, often we put off doing chores that we did not like to do.

When God calls us to do something difficult we should never procrastinate because we will miss out on God’s best for us.

The Children of Israel procrastinated and missed out on God’s best. God had promised to give them the land of Canaan. He was going to give them power to conquer the Canaanites and take possession of their land.

When the tribe of Manasseh complained to Joshua that they did not have enough land, Joshua said to them, “How long will you put off going into the land to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? (Joshua 18:3) If they had obeyed God completely and driven out all the Canaanites they would have had all the land they needed. God had promised it would be theirs but that they would have to work and fight for it.

God has promised to give us an eternal home through Jesus Christ. It is a free gift. Have you chosen to possess it? Now is the time.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Deuteronomy 33:12.

The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all day long; and he shall dwell between His shoulders.

PRAYER:

Help me to always listen for your direction for what You want me to do and where You want me to be. Keep me alert and willing and ready. Keep me from putting off what I know You want me to do.