Procrastination

Procrastination. It’s a work of the devil! I even put off writing about it. I don’t know what it is about procrastination. It’s even more subversive than outright sin. It makes you think you’re OK when you’re just messing up. It makes you think you’re staying on track when you’re actually going way off field.

You know what I mean. Procrastination tells you to write the check/pay the bill/pray/study/start the assignment/do the chore...later. You can do it/work on it/start it later, after you’ve rested. It isn’t going anywhere. You’ve got time [The internet/the 24 hour store/a cell phone] so what’s the rush?

Next thing you know a day has passed and you haven’t done anything. So Procrastination says, “Don’t worry, you’ve still got time.” Uh Oh! Procrastination told you to lay down. “You’re too tired now. You can get up early in the morning [and begin the task/start studying/pray/talk to whoever/pay the bill].”

Ooops. Now 3 days have passed. But wait, Procrastination tells you, “It’s just as well you waited. [You didn’t have the money for it anyway/Didn’t have the time to work on it/Couldn't talk to them.] Now you can set up quality time for this [and call/write the check/start the task] later on.”

But “later on”, when the Holy Ghost brings your 'issue' to your remembrance Procrastination tells you, “You don't have any idea where you put that bill/You don't have everything you need/You don't have time to talk.” Or, "You don’t really have handy what you need to study/write/do the chore."

Then, just for good measure Procrastination’s co-worker Distraction comes to visit and you get side tracked – for hours.

Well, now it’s the middle of the night and you haven’t looked for the bill let alone written the check or even begun the task/talked to anyone. Procrastination whispers, “You must act wisely! You don’t want to needlessly put yourself in harms way [by staying up so late you’re too tired to function tomorrow/Exposing the situation to folks who are fatigued/Going out late at night just to mail a bill that’s already late anyway.] You might get hit in the head or something! Do it first thing tomorrow.”

OK. You get up early (not as early as you said you would) and decide to study/pray/work on the project/start the chore/pay the bill. Rats! You can’t find your glasses/the computer crashed/you’re out of detergent-soap-vacuum bags/you left the bible and/or your notes in the car-at work-at school/the internet is down/the pilot light is out! Ok, you’ll do it in a little while…

Let’s see, now 4 days have past. You’ve done nothing. You’ve talked to no one. And let me guess, You haven’t prayed for anyone or anything/the 10 page paper is due today/company is coming and there’s no way you have time to finish cleaning and cook/the laundry has piled up so high it would take 10 of you to wash and everyone has run out of underwear/you don’t have enough (whatever) to do the job/you’re in a crisis and need some scripture and have no idea where to look for help and no one is available to call/the lights or phone are about to be turned off/the TV is dark with the satellite logo dancing across the screen/the car loan folks have turned the account over to the repo group or a collection agency] - things are definitely out of control.

Now Procrastination has done his job. He turns you over to his supervisors Fear and/or Despair to finish you off. What a mess!

Yep, Procrastination is a work of the devil!

Maybe, just maybe, putting things off isn’t such a good idea.

Proverbs 6:6-11 Contemporary English
6 You lazy people can learn by watching an anthill. 7 Ants don't have leaders, 8 but they store up food during harvest season. 9 How long will you lie there doing nothing at all? When are you going to get up and stop sleeping? 10 Sleep a little. Doze a little. Fold your hands and twiddle your thumbs. 11 Suddenly, everything is gone, as though it had been taken by an armed robber.