Like any addiction, procrastination is a powerful disease. Praise the Lord, my God is more powerful than any disease.
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I think we all understand what procrastination means. Did you know it’s an actual psychological disorder? It seems it goes hand in hand with anxiety, possibly even perfectionism. Whatever the case, it’s something I’m determined to break. But it’s also something I know I can’t do without the Lord’s help.
Since God seems to be surrounding me with messages about gifts and how we should or should not use them, it’s only reasonable to assume that He shares my belief; it’s time to quit procrastinating.
One day last week, I had spoken my disgust over my tendency to procrastinate. Instead of advice, others joined in with my plea. Of course, it should come as no surprise that God would send me a message in the mail only a few short minutes after my lament. The message came in something similar to Our Daily Bread, or The Upper Room. The very first devotional shared, Matthew 25:24-30, the parable of talents.
As if that little reminder wasn’t enough, our pastor spoke on gifts Sunday. We’ve all been given gifts, and I’m fortunate enough to know what some of mine are. I need to quit procrastinating! I need to be a good steward with what God has entrusted me with.
The particular gift I’m talking about has to do with my writing. I have a tendency to surf the web, especially blog hop, instead of plotting, researching and writing. I don’t know what God has in store, but there was a contest I had considered entering. I pushed it to the back burner, even though I felt as if this was a contest I needed to enter. Although my first chapter is as polished as it is going to get, I have yet to write the synopsis (here comes that anxiety). As the initial deadline approached, I knew I wouldn’t have time to write a polished synopsis, so I forgot about the contest. The coordinators extended the deadline. Once again the deadline came faster than what I was ready for, so I forgot, once again, about the contest. I received an email over the weekend, stating the coordinators have, once again, extended the deadline. This time I’m not going to let the deadline pass me by.
This is only a small example. The picture is so much larger in how God continues to prod me. There’s a heavy burden on me to finish my projects, and soon.
Lord Jesus, help me to be a good steward of the gifts you’ve entrusted me with.