Procrastination, oh how you taunt me! Our list is a mile long of things to do, people we want to encourage, people we need to address. It is easy to push some things to the bottom of the list and literally never get around to them. And because we are staying busy, it relieves some of the guilt involved of achieving those things on the “to-do” list.

Repeated reminders

I sit and ponder at the same things that have been pressing on my heart and mind for months. They continue to rear their heads back up as my conscience (or the Holy Spirit) reminds me; they were not completed. Alright, I will get to it. Usually I go dragging my feet, because there was a very thought out reason why I procrastinated this long already. Sometimes I do more thinking than doing, which is also a time killer and fear enabler.

Delayed obedience is disobedience

Priscilla Shirer

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:37

God’s perfect Timing

Our procrastination hinders us from fully experiencing what God has in store for us because we try to control what God has established in our hearts to do. I have seen this from personal experience. When I listen and obey immediately, I see events come together that only could have been orchestrated from God. Whereas, when I procrastinate, the forced and contrived event does not go as smoothly.

I am the person who will send a birthday card out a month after the fact just because I had my mind set to encourage them on their birthday. However, the recipient probably wonders if I actually remembered when their birthday was. Sometimes we deal with God’s agenda as if it’s a month late birthday card. Did we complete the task? Sure, but was it the perfect timing… questionable at best. Thankfully God is omniscient and knows what we are going to do before we do it. Ultimately I don’t fear our mistakes jeopardize God’s ultimate plan. However, wouldn’t we want to be a part of God’s perfect plan from the start?

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:32

Seize the Moment

We need to run the race with the urgency that tomorrow is not promised. God has placed specific tasks on our heart for today, not for tomorrow, or the next day, or when we get around to it. Whether it is inconvenient or uproots fears that we don’t want to deal with, walk a life full of faith one day at a time. It will be eye opening to see our life unfold, not in the cookie cutter, controlled environment that we have established, but in the wide open possibilities that God has in store for each one of us. Lets put those things that God is prodding on our hearts from the “to-do” list to the “to-done” list and live a life fully trusting God with the outcome.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Photo Credit: by Mattox