Procrastination Affects Abiding – Abiding in the Vine
It’s undesirable to hear, former procrastinators, but true. Procrastination affects our fellowship with God. Therefore, it affects our abiding in the Vine. It affects our discipleship.
What are some of the ways it does that? What thinking makes us believe that’s okay?
Procrastination is resistance. I’m a branch on the Vine. Delay cuts off some of the life flow I need from Christ. I insist on my own way instead of surrendering to His. Sometimes I can so cling to my own “thing” that it becomes like a stronghold in my life. Tony Evans explains that a stronghold is a partition that separates. When I repeatedly resist, I erect a partition that separates me and God.
How does procrastination present itself so that we buy into thinking it’s a better idea than acting in a timely manner? Better than doing what needs doing when it needs doing? Here are some possibilities:
Procrastination may sometimes come from thinking something doesn’t matter. My priorities are different from God’s. I choose to ignore His prompting because I don’t value Him as I should or value the same things He does. But, “Your ways are not my ways.” His thoughts and ways are higher than mine. Isaiah 55:8-9
Procrastination may sometimes come from holding to a different timeline than God directs. “Not here, not now. I will pick when I want to do this.” A friend says “Serving others is always inconvenient.” That could apply to many things the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. “Choose this day whom you will serve… “ Joshua 24:15
Procrastination may come from the idea that some parts of life do not include God or come under His purview. “But there’s the secular and the sacred. It doesn’t matter if it’s secular.” Actually, all of life is under God. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Corinthians 10:31.
Procrastination often plays the comfort card. “That makes me uncomfortable. It’s not my bent/It’s hard/ I feel so awkward/ It’s not my gift.” Etc. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. Is God’s arm shortened? Isaiah 50:2.
Procrastination can sound reasonable. “I don’t have time to do that with my other responsibilities. Someone else should take that job.” Or, “I’ll leave it for later” Cry out for discernment and understanding. Proverbs 2:3, Philippians 1:9.
Procrastination is a tactic we employ when we don’t know if a prompting is from the Lord or not. We need discernment. Proverbs 2:3.
Procrastination is easy to talk ourselves into if we do not want to do the job anyway. The way we prefer sounds better to our resistant ears. “There is a way that seems right…” Proverbs 14:12.
Which of these are you inclined to use in favor of delay?
Most of My life if there is something that is too hard for me or something I really hate to do, I will do it first and get it over with. That way I don’t dwell on it and decide I am just not going to do that.
As I have gotten older there are some things I had to quit doing for my own safety. I am enjoying Your blog!
Oh, how I wish I had done that. Usually, “hard” was just in my perception. Once I started, the job wasn’t so bad. Your approach, Kay, is diligent and helpful and brings peace to your mind and schedule. Comments like this describe what I want to be like and are helping me change.
Yes, we have to be wise about adjusting expectations of ourselves as we get older. That’s also true at any age for different seasons of life.
It’s a pleasure to have you here!