Do it Now! - Girlfriends in God - September 4, 2014
September 4, 2014
Do it now!
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
To one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him, it is sin (James 4:17, NASB).
Friend to Friend
Procrastination is a great source of stress in life. I once heard a preacher tell the old story of three demons who were arguing over the best way to destroy the Christian movement. The first demon had it all figured out. “Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no heaven. If we take away the reward incentive, their movement will collapse.” The second demon responded with, “No, I have a better idea. Let’s tell all of the Christians that there really is no hell. If we take away their fear of punishment, their movement will collapse.” The third demon offered, “Both of those are great ideas, but there is a better way. Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no hurry.” The other demons applauded in delight! “That’s it!” they said. “Our best weapon of all is procrastination.”
Procrastination is understandable and normal – humanly speaking – but procrastination is not part of God’s best plan for our lives. We don’t often view procrastination as sin, but it is. Sin is not merely doing wrong. It is failing to do what you know you should do – when you know you should do it. Knowledge equals responsibility. Procrastination and disobedience are just opposite sides of the same coin.
Procrastination helps us avoid doing the things we don’t want to do – the tasks that require personal discipline and a commitment to godly goals. Wasting time often creates a restless feeling that produces a sense of failure. When the deadline we were supposed to meet has come and gone, or the dreaded task we keep putting off spirals out of control – guilt sets in. We try to rationalize it away when the simple truth is that we have sinned.
I once attended a leadership conference that changed my life in many ways. The speakers did not talk about money or success. They focused on the fact that God created each one of us in response to His unique plan for our lives. One of the simplest but most powerful mottos I came away from that conference with was: “Do it now!” Do you realize that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it? Procrastination drains energy while action produces energy. God empowers us to do what He calls us to do.
Truth is for now. God is not impressed with good intentions. Obedience today is the greatest preparation for every tomorrow. So do what you know to do today!
Let’s Pray
Father, please forgive me for putting off what I know You want me to do. Help me be more disciplined with my time. Teach me how to find and live by Your priorities for my life. I want to do what You created me to do, Lord.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Procrastination is really about loving self and pleasing self above others. In Romans 12:10, Paul says we should love each other deeply and honor others more than we love and honor our selves. The moments God give us really do matter now and eternally. We are responsible for how we spend them. Each moment in time represents an eternal opportunity. Evaluate your life in light of these truths. How well do you invest your time? What one change can you make this week to overcome procrastination? Ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable to make that change.
More from the Girlfriends
An important discipline and habit that will help you learn how to avoid procrastination is to set and manage goals. Mary’s E-Bible Study, Time: Friend or Foe will help you learn how. Be sure to connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
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