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I once heard a preacher tell the story of three demons who were arguing over the best way to destroy the Christian movement. ![]()
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The first demon had it all figured out. “Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no heaven. If we take away the reward incentive, their movement will collapse,” he said. ![]()
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The second demon responded with, “No, I have a better idea. Let’s tell all the Christians that there really is no hell. If we take away their fear of punishment, their movement will collapse.” ![]()
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The third demon offered, “Both of those are great ideas, but there is a better way. Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no hurry.” The other demons applauded in delight! “That’s it!” they said. “Our best weapon of all is procrastination.”![]()
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According to Webster’s dictionary, to procrastinate is to “put off intentionally and habitually.” Procrastination is not an accident. It is an intentional action that leads to a habit – a bad habit. ![]()
Procrastination is understandable and normal – humanly speaking – but procrastination does not please God. We rarely view procrastination as sin, but it is. ![]()
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Sin is not merely doing wrong. It is failing to do what you know you should do – when you know you should do it. Knowledge equals responsibility. Procrastination and disobedience are just opposite sides of the same coin.![]()
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Sin brings pleasure for only a moment. Procrastination is different in that it helps us avoid doing the things we don’t want to do – the tasks that require personal discipline and a commitment to godly goals. Wasting time often creates a restless feeling that produces a sense of failure. When the deadline we were supposed to meet has come and gone, or the dreaded task we keep putting off spirals out of control – guilt sets in. We try to rationalize it away when the simple truth is that we have sinned. ![]()
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The key to dealing with procrastination begins with a commitment to obey God and exercise His wisdom. ![]()
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We can choose to be led by wisdom rather than our momentary feelings. ![]()
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We can choose to make right choices. ![]()
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We can learn to be good stewards of the time God has given us. ![]()
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Do you realize that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to just do it? Procrastination drains energy while action produces energy. God empowers us to do what He calls us to do. ![]()
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Matthew 6:33 (NCV) “The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.”![]()
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Truth is for today. When we hear God speak, we need to obey His voice now! God is not impressed with good intentions. Obedience today is the greatest preparation for every tomorrow. So do what you know to do today – like the Proverbs 31 woman did. ![]()
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Proverbs 31:25 tells us she could “laugh at the days to come.” In other words, this woman fully lived in the present but carefully planned and prepared for the future. ![]()
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Proverbs 31:19 indicates that she made thread with her hands and weaved her own cloth: “In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.” Notice she only made thread and cloth – not the finished product of clothes. That was a task for the future. She was simply getting ready today to meet the needs of tomorrow. The result was a life filled with hope because she lived out God’s purpose. ![]()
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Think of procrastinating as putting off your blessings and resist it with the Holy Spirit power that abides in you. Then go ahead and take that first step toward the victory and success that God has in store for you!![]()
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Father, please forgive me for putting off what I know You want me to do. Help me learn to be more disciplined with my time. Teach me how to find and live by Your priorities instead of my own. ![]()
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.![]()
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When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, our family got an up close and personal lesson on faith. Trials can lead us to a greater dependency on God and a deeper trust in His sovereignty if we let them. I’ve learned that in every situation I have a choice: I can pout, or I can praise. ![]()
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I can turn away from God because I don’t understand, or I can turn toward God trusting that His understanding is enough for the both of us – even if it hurts – even if fear lingers – even if doubt looms. ![]()
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Have you been to these crossroads?![]()
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God shows us a powerful example of praise-over-pout behavior in chapter sixteen of the book of Acts. During the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey, he and his ministry buddy Silas encountered a collision of faith and trouble while in Philippi. ![]()
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After Paul cast out a demon that was terrorizing a young slave girl, he and Silas were seized by disgruntled Roman citizens and dragged to the marketplace before the rulers. They were then wrongfully accused of public disruption. And later stripped, beaten, and unlawfully jailed without a trial. After the flogging, Paul and Silas were taken to the inner cell of the prison, normally reserved for the most dangerous offenders, and their feet were placed in stocks. ![]()
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Though they had every reason to sit and stew because of the injustice of their situation, Paul and Silas chose to trust in God's plan and praise their Lord, Jesus Christ. Though they had open wounds and would likely have been in severe physical pain, Paul and Silas chose to glorify the name of God. ![]()
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"After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16: 23-25).![]()
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Then God shook the foundations of the prison and loosed the chains of the prisoners. In horror, knowing he would be held responsible for the escape of the prisoners, the jailer raised his sword to kill himself – but Paul stopped him. He and Silas hadn’t fled. They stood amidst their dark circumstances and spoke and sang with confidence in their God. ![]()
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As a result, several people, including the jailer and his family, came to believe in Jesus Christ. ![]()
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"The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”![]()
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They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all of his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household" (Acts 16:29-34).![]()
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Though we won’t always rejoice in our circumstances, we are commanded to always rejoice in the Lord. ![]()
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"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4, 6-7). ![]()
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When we praise the Lord through, and in spite of, what we face our praise becomes our deliverance through the trial. Praise leads us to peace.![]()
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"We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us" (Romans 5:3-5a).![]()
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This world is broken, and hardship is unavoidable. But no matter what difficult times we encounter, God is worthy of our praise. ![]()
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When we choose to praise instead of pout, we choose to trust God. ![]()
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When we choose to trust God rather than grow terrified in the trial, the wounded world around us lifts their eyebrows in wonder – just like the Roman jailer. ![]()
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Yes. Trials will continue to come. Yes. Sometimes a sacrifice of praise is required. You get to choose whether or not you will offer it.![]()
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