Nuggets – Wait! do not Procrastinate.

Image by Charlotte Godfrey1 via Flickr

We are 11 days into the new year. Have you found yourself procrastinating on your new year resolutions… tomorrow… tomorrow, I will do it and you find that tomorrow never came for the 2011 resolutions which were never to be. (Click on LOADING  above if you have not done so)

procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.

Will it be the same this year?

In waiting, there is a definite decision made at the end. When we wait on the Lord we know why we wait and we are usually waiting for His go-ahead to fruition of or His direction to stop on that mission.

In procrastination, you have received direction but there is a lack of seriousness, a lack of drive, a lack of wanting to complete the task that must needs be done. It is almost always the tool of the enemy who wants us to not get started in the plan of God. Our minds suddenly become filled with questions why? what if? and is that so? are you sure?  Have you experienced it? There is always someone who will pick up the slack.

The verse that comes to mind is   “If you hear God speak today, don’t be stubborn. Don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15. There is a stubbornness about procrastination – a resistence to change the status quo, to change to something better. Procrastination may result in stress, from a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments. Procrastination promotes further procrastination. While it is regarded as normal for people to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning. Chronic procrastination may be a sign of an underlying psychological disorder reflecting task-aversion that is caused by laziness, low willpower, or low ambition.

Those who procrastinated were the losers when the way was chosen and no action was taken – the opportunity was lost, timed out and there was no accomplishment The five unwise virgins were  procrastinators who did not trim their lamps for the arrival of the bridegroom and were left behind when he came.

Matthew 25:6-10 At midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’  ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’  But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. ”

When we read the Word of God, we know that a specific action has to be taken e.g. getting ready for the second coming of Christ, forgiveness, apologising for a wrong that was committed, helping to fill a need, responding to the call for help from the body of Christ or members. Procrastination  usually means the enemy has succeeded in preempting the believer being responsive or obedient to the Spirit’s call.

There are those who like King Agrippa (Acts 26:28) delay surrendering themselves to Christ because of

(a)  the love of sin – the love of sin in general, or some particular sin which they are not willing to abandon;

(b) the fear of shame, persecution, or contempt, if they become Christians.

Have you often been hoodwinked by the enemy who says to you “It’s good, it’s ok…just wait a little longer… ” then you have other priorities and forget what you were supposed to do in the first place, seemingly innocently and you never do it.

Procrastination can kill! Watch out procrastination can cause you to lose your soul if you do not decide for Christ when you have breath. It will be too late when you are dead.

Pray that we will not procrastinate, on the Spirit’s call, to our eternal regret.

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