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Stop Putting It Off

Updated: Dec 5, 2021

Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. ~Proverbs 13:4 [NLT]



Proverbs 13:4 and Proverbs 20:4 let us know that sluggards do not plow in season and so their appetite is never filled because they have not worked to prepare for a harvest. Therefore, when the harvest comes, the do not have much if anything to gather. One who sits back and waits to be fed but does not put in the work is never full because their appetite outweighs their (lack of) effort. In order for dreams to become a reality, there is work that needs to be put in, there are tasks that need to be completed, and there are fears to be conquered.

  • What is your dream?

  • What is one thing you can do everyday to get you closer to that dream?

One reason we talk ourselves out of following our dreams, or going for that promotion is because we are afraid we might fail. Proverbs 29:25 lets us know that “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” What is a snare, but a trap? Fear leads right to a trap set by the enemy to make you believe that you are not talented enough, smart enough, or good enough to make that dream God gave you a reality. Here is how to face that the next time the enemy tries to play on your mind. If God gave you the dream, then remember Ephesians 2:10 lets you know you were created to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do, so that pretty much seals the deal – you will not fail, IF you move according to God’s will and plan; notice the “IF.” If God blessed you to lay bricks, then you will succeed in laying bricks, however if God did not bless you to lay bricks, then please leave that to those who are blessed to do so.

  • What is your biggest fear?

  • What would happen if that fear came to fruition? (For example, you would learn from the failure, you would grow from the setback, you would establish a more stable path)

Proverbs 18:9 reminds us that one who is slack (loose, limp) in their work is actually a brother to the one who destroys. OUCH! So if the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy and procrastination comes to delay, obstruct, and prevent, then when we allow procrastination to come upon us, we are operating against God’s will and in cahoots with the devil. Wow. I had to do some repenting after writing this, and if I am completely honest, I am still trying to get it right! Procrastination comes to distract us from heeding God’s instructions and in some cases, it even adds unnecessary burdens because we allowed the distraction to occur. Have you ever had to end up getting rotors on your car because of delaying getting your brakes fixed because you kept putting it off? Have you had to repair the floor in the basement because you knew the utility sink had a leak, but you kept putting a band-aid on it instead of getting it fixed the correct way? Maybe you had to take loans out for you or your child to pursue higher education because you ‘had time’ to get those financial aid forms in until you realized that time wasn’t waiting for you to ‘get around to it.’

  • What have you been putting off that you are ready to pursue now? Or that needs to get done.

  • Plan to take care of it this week.

Ephesians 5:15-17 instructs us to be wise in how we choose to spend our days. We should follow God’s instructions for our day, even if that means stepping out on blind faith. If we understand that the Lord has a purpose and a plan for our life, our gifts, and/or our talents, then we can continue to seek Him for guidance and direction on what to do with those gifts and how best to use our talents for His glory. For if we use what God has given us for Him, then we have to succeed at it because His word tells us in Matthew 6:33 that if we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then we will not only succeed, but have abundance. That should be enough to discount our fears, the excuses, talking ourselves out of it, and ‘putting it off until tomorrow.’ Right?

  • Take time to draft what an ideal day looks like

  • How can you better maximize your time? (write it down, set weekly goals, track your time)

 
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