Procrastination is something we as Christians all struggle with to some degree. We are constantly warned throughout the Bible to “not be lazy” and keep our hands busy, yet we seldom take notice of such a warning.
“The craving of a sluggard [procrastinator] will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work” - Proverbs 21:25 (ESV)
When one looks at the definition of procrastination we see that it states that it is an action of delaying or postponing something that has to be done. Such an easy and carefree definition, am I right? A trap we all fall into on possibly a daily basis - I speak in my personal capacity here. However, recently I came across another definition that made me stand still about the whole concept of procrastination.
“Procrastination is the arrogant assumption that God owes you another opportunity to do what you had time to do.”
That definition hit close to home. If we are honest we all have a 24 hour day no one has it longer or shorter and within those 24 hours there is at least 1 hour or more of procrastination that takes place. We reach the point where we have to force ourselves to actually do something productive or that has to be done.
“Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor” - Proverbs 12:24
What does worldly procrastination look like? Here is a little scenario, you come home from work, yes it was a hectic day, there are dishes to be washed from last night and food to be cooked and loved ones to be taken care of. Yet instead of doing all of that we say “oh I'll just have a seat and rest a bit before I get to it”. What happens then? We open social media or tune in the television and we sloth there for an hour or two. Next thing you know it's 11 o’clock and time for bed. The scary thing is we seldom realise that procrastination is such a thief of time. It steals from family time, time we have to rest (scrolling on social media for an hour is not resting) and time we are blessed with to spend with God.
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” - John 9:4
Procrastination is a mindset. It is the condition of the mind that says “I’ll do it tomorrow.” or “I just don’t feel like it right now. When we procrastinate, we put off something important in exchange for doing something else, even if that thing is nothing at all. Think about it. If you choose to do nothing, technically you are still choosing to do something.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11
We need to renew our mindset on procrastination. We are arrogant in thinking that God owes us more time to complete tasks that were supposed to be done ages ago. God created each of us with a purpose and a passion, He equipped us with 24 hours and two hands to work diligently in all we do. Whether that being making your bed in the mornings or taking on the task to care for your family.
For anyone struggling with procrastination there is a biblical way to change your mindset. All praise to God for equipping us with a roadmap to overcome!
Acknowledge procrastination: "The craving of a sluggard [procrastinator] will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work" - (Proverbs 21:25).
Ask God to assist in keeping a Godly 24 hours: "There is a proper time and procedure for every matter ..." - (Ecclesiastes 8:6).
Keep a record of what needs to be done: "... there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed" - (Ecclesiastes 3:17).
Be intentional of what needs to be done: "… he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty" - (Proverbs 28:19).
Do not feel bad if something disrupts your progress: "Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" - (Hebrews 10:35– 36).
Don't allow your mind to whisper you are a failure if you don't quite get out of your procrastination mindset just yet - it is a process: "May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer" - (Psalm 19:14).
Yield your life to God, giving Him full control over your comings or goings: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" - (Galatians 2:20).
Acknowledge that we are dependent on God and claim his promises over your life: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" - (2 Peter 1:3–4).
Lastly I would like to end off with "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" - Romans 12:2. Review your mindset on what procrastination is, a thief of time! And allow God to change your mindset and give Him authority to equip you in your day-to-day tasks (no matter how simple) to do them diligently with eager hands.
See you soon,
Neréne
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