Sunday, April 23, 2023

Procrastination is an Enemy!

Managing time is a necessity to getting things done. It is a skill that many of us need to develop. How often to you say or hear, I don’t have time for this or that. Is it a true? Is there really not time? Or, are there other obstacles to us getting things done? One thing that poses a problem for us to getting things done is procrastination. 

According to the Britannica dictionary, procrastination means to be slow or late about doing something that should be done; or to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc. 

I know I suffer from it. When there is a thing I don’t like or a thing I don’t really know how to do, instead of tackling it, I will find any other thing to do. It might be something productive, but it’s not what I should be doing at the time. I make these plans to do a thing and then I’ll find another something that I would prefer – maybe it’s reading a book I needed finish, cooking a meal, taking a much-needed break, taking a walk, or finishing some other work. While all of those may be beneficial, they may not be what I should be doing. 

However, it’s up to me to make things happen and to do them right the first time. When I procrastinate, I’m taking time from something else….maybe it’s a priority or maybe it isn’t. It could be a waste of my time. Either way, what I’m not doing is what I know I should be doing. Like the Apostle Paul, the things I know I should do, I don’t (Rom 7:15). At the end of the day, what does that get me? Stress. Confusion. Drama. 

Time is not promised (Jam 4:12-14). Our days are numbered and we only have so much time (Job 14:5). None of us know how much time we have and if we don’t do our part, the things assigned to us either don’t get done or someone else will have to do them. How do you feel when someone leaves work for you to do because they didn’t get to it? It’s frustrating to me, but I don’t think about how I do that to others. Loving others as I love myself means I take care of what I need to do so others won’t have to (Mark 12:31). 

Procrastination is the enemy of accomplishment. If we want to accomplish anything, we have to do the work (Prob 6:4). Things worth having don’t just fall in our laps. We have to prepare and move the needle forward. Putting off that class, will only prolong the promotion. Delaying the visit to the gym and healthy eating habits, will only prolong good health. What are you avoiding or delaying because you don’t like it? What is it keeping you from? 

Let’s take a long look at ourselves and identify our time sucks and call it what it is. Let’s follow God’s example in creation – do the work first and then rest (Gen 1-2). We’ll be better for it.


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