Procrastination

Procrastination - Putting off, Delaying.

Procrastination is a form of Fear Procrastination is a form of Laziness Procrastination is a form of Pride

Matthew 6:34 NIV

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

You dont even know what will happen tomorrow. Yet we can throw off tasks and make plans for things. We can mistakenly think we will live for hundreds of years. Life is precious even in the Kingdom we must treat life preciously and considerably according to Gods Will and Standard.

In this verse God is calling us to live within this 24 hour bondary called “today” but those who worry try to bring tomorrows worries into today.

Jesus says tomorrow has enough troubles of its own , focus on today.

When we procrastinate we do the opposite of what Jesus says. Instead of bringing tommorrows troubles into today, we push todays troubles into tomorrow hoping that what we have to do today will disappear if we do it tomorrow.

So we can see what Jesus is saying aswell “ Tomorrow will have enough troubles of its own without you adding todays problems to it. Handle and Focus on todays tasks for today and handle tomorrows troubles for tomorrow.

Sounds pretty simple right?

Even though it seems simple , the part of us that procrastinates complicates it and we begin to think that doing the things of today make more sense to do tomorrow.

Proverbs 24:30–34 NIV

30 I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; 31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. 32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

When we read this Proverb we see he walks past someone who has a field and vineyard that was covered with weeds and he realised that this was a field of someone who was lazy.

He gains understanding that its so true, when have a little bit to much sleep, a little to lazy, a little bit of folding your hands to much to not do anything - poverty comes and takes you like a thief and you get left with nothing.

Something we see here is that when we put off hard tasks for tomorrow , it doesnt mean that it becomes less hard , its still hard but now youve got less time.

So when we face tasks today and we keep saying ill do it tomorrow , ill do it tomorrow. We need to see doing things in our strength today brings fruit for tomorrow.

When we do things today , fruit comes out of it the next day.

Procrastination causes us to have messy lives and messy schedules that results in tasks left incomplete and tasks with no fruit.

Procrastination is the assassination of motivation.

Unknown

“When we fail to prepare , we prepare to fail.”

Proverbs 27:1 “1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

Stop throwing off tasks or living in disobedience because you believe you got heaps of time.

Sometimes we wait to be stronger to do things or we wait till we feel like it to do things. When our flesh begins to say things like “ i dont feel like it” we have fight it back with prayer. So that when that time comes to do something we will learn to say “ not tomorrow - but today”.

Proverbs 20:4 NIV

4 Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

The part of us that procrastinates always loves tomorrow but its only because we dont see tomorrow clearly. If we saw it more clearly we would notice that the harvest thats coming and know that todays nap might mean that tomorrows field will have nothing to harvest.

We reap tomorrow what we sow today.

What happens if someone doesnt just procrastinate sometimes but procrastinates all the time, in everything they do?

Soon family and friends will stop relying on them. The promises they make will always go into tomorrow. People will stop asking them for much. “Their life will end up becoming filled with thorns that they refused to pluck.”

But what about the opposite , someone who keeps their eyes on the harvest? Slowly but surely they will grow stronger and more mature.

James 5:12 NIV

12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no otherwise we can fall into condemnation.

Luke 16:10 NIV

10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

A person who is faithful in the smallest and trickiest little taks will be faithufl in the bigger tasks that come his way later then friends and family, coworkers will begin to see that you are trustworthy and can be relied on to pull through.

Every single one of us know or need to know that the things that become the best or the strongest things in life is when we go through the hard yards and hardships to get it.

When we take the hard tasks on the chin our homes becomes stronger , we have friendships that last longer, we have relationships restored, our children become more disciplined, the church grow into maturity.

Singles dont have to manage time as much cause of lack of responsibility this can be to comforting but singles should see everything the same.

Couples have to manage their time alot more cause of children and needs the family has.

But regardless can still both procrastinate. In whatever situation you are in when you are tempted with tomorrow , think of the harvest before you delay.

Procrastination is the thief of time.

Unknown; Edward Joseph Young; Charles Spurgeon

Sharing the gospel with others is for now , yes there is a balance but why throw it off as if it is promised you will see that person tomorrow or they will live tomorrow?

Doing studies in the Word of God. Stop thinking you have heaps of time. Tasks may be given to you while in the body of Christ or when out and about during daily life that are important and that will have people reliant on you to deliver. Do not delay preparation.

*** We tend to throw tasks off and procrastinate to ease the stress and we jump on youtube or binge watch something irrelevant.

Proverbs 14:23 “23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Only actually putting your head down and working towards something and getting things done in life is what will benefit you.  You can talk all you want and still have no fruit and also have nothing because you lack effort and sacrifice.

Proverbs 18:9 “9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”

Ephesians 5:15–17 “15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Make the most of your time. Take every oppurtunity as one to glorify God because the days are evil. Dont be foolish , UNDERSTAND what the Lords will is. Be careful of mixing your will and Gods will.

Luke 9:57–62 “57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.””

It wasnt that Jesus was against some of these things but i believe Jesus was against the procrastination and the deeper motives of why some chose not to follow him then and there.

Ephesians 4:26–27 “26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Dont let the enemy have a chance. Dont delay get right with God and get right with others as soon as anything negative arises in your heart or mind.

Life is short There needs to be an urgency with people coming to God. When we procrastinate we put off something important for something less important.

Even procrastination in things saying like "man i just need to get over this then ill be able to do it" or even when we say " i dont feel like it"

Galatians 6:9 “9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

What really will matter in the end standing before the Lord.

Knowing who won the rugby game on the weekend or scored all these tries?  Knowing what happened on 90 day fiance?  Knowing what Mai Fm and Flava are talking about?  Knowing who won the nba or nfl or nrl or ufc whatever how does knowing that stuff help?  Knowing so much things that dont even matter, wanting to do so much things that dont matter and we cant complete our tasks.

To overcome a life of procrastination is to Stop throwing off important things for less important things.

Ways to overcome Procrastination:

Dont make yourself to busy with thing that dont matter otherwise it can cause you to be drained out. I believe God has called us to to be creative in the things that we do to glorify him and when we are to busy with other things then what can happen it we keep delaying the ideas we have , we keep delaying the things we are gifted at wether it be music , wether it be art in drawing , dancing or singing for the Lord, wether it even be media ideas.

Not setting aside priorities and continuously pushing ideas backwards with delay causes us to lose our motivation and our creativity in things we can glorify God in.

2. Watch out for the ping of your phone.

Sometimes when were going to do something productive our phones ping with a notification maybe an email , social media or even sometimes the group chat and it can cause us to want to look straight away and then we get side tracked.

Its more difficult to focus on whats infront of you if you keep hearing the ping and you feel like you need to always respond to it , you end up pushing back the tast you need to get done.

Im not saying we need to get rid of technology we just need to set boundaries. If were eating, you dont need your phone, if your fellowshipping , you dont need your phone, if you need to get something done , you dont need your phone.

3. Recognize that the little tasks always add up.

If you have another request come your way dont just single that out and think straight away you can take that on board but look at the responsibilities you already have first.

Every new commitment you make to something affects the other commitments you already have.

4. Every commitment costs something.

Sometimes theres commitments that we need to trade for more important commitments and something we have to ask ourselves is are we willing to make that trade?

5. Work out doing things in advance rather than leaving things to come back to. If you know you can prepare earlier for the future or communicate in advance then aim to do these things before the time comes for it to happen.

Put your life before you and pick out the most important things to do and prioritise. You have been given the power through Christ.

Amen. Love you family. Please dont be offended but this is something ive seen for a while in Christians is that we delay on whats important. Just a encouragement from me.