“I am going to get that done……tomorrow”
Procrastination can create two unwanted outcomes. First, at the least, it can create an unorganized, ineffective environment as you put off what needs to be done today. Postponing seems innocent enough until you create an emergency situation where something needs to be done today or a consequence occurs. There are soft deadlines – high-value priority tasks that really need to be done ahead of time so that you avert the emergency situation. Then there are the hard deadline scenarios that occur because you created your own procrastination-induced emergency! Fires burn in our lives for a reason.
The second consequence of procrastination is losing the ability to make a choice to take action. You waited too long and procrastinated to the point where you have no options, and the procrastination created the choice for you. These are wake-up calls and can be some of the toughest of life’s moments. It could be that you put off a conversation with your spouse for so long that you built up a wall between the two of you that will forever stand tall. It could be in the form of the death of someone close. It could be the discovery of a health condition that, because of its’ presence, closes the options of many doors.
So, what does the Bible say about procrastination?
Proverbs 13:4 ESV The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
A sluggard is lazy, inactive, and unwilling to take personal responsibility for their lives. They want the rewards associated with being diligent without the work. Unfortunately, their procrastination consistently gets in the way.
The Bible describes the diligent as those who are the direct opposite of the sluggard. They are conscientious and committed to getting things done. As a result, they are richly supplied with rewards of all types. Most importantly the diligent does what it takes to be the prudent steward that God calls us to be.
So, which one are you? The sluggard or the diligent? Don't let a “wake up call” determine that for you.
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