A popular motto during my childhood was, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” When I was young and full of energy I thought that was a great idea. During my working years, I used to carry a round wooden disc in my pocket with the words TO IT printed on it. I could never say, “I didn’t get around to it,” because there it was in my pocket. Procrastination can become a serious problem. A friend of mine told me she joined a support group for procrastinators and they hope to have their first meeting sometime soon. The older and less energetic I get these days, the more I tend to flip that old motto to, “Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow.” But since none of us is guaranteed tomorrow, that is risky.
Procrastination is one of the favorite tools of the enemy. It has been said many times, “If he can’t make us sin, he will make us busy.” There are only so many hours in a day, so we must prioritize and first do those things that must be done that day. Solomon reminds us in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes that there is a time to do everything under the sun. When each of those times come, our action is required. Like manna that could only be eaten on the day it was collected, putting off certain actions will also have unpleasant and even eternal consequences. It is sad when people find so many excuses to put off accepting God’s gift of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until they run out of time.
Organizing and prioritizing our day, deciding what must be done and what can wait, might seem like a daunting task that could keep us awake at night, but not for Christians. Fortunately for us, God has planted His Holy Spirit in each of us and He is a master of organization and priority. All we have to do is turn tomorrow over to Him when we pray before bedtime each night; get a good night’s sleep; in the morning, follow His promptings and leadership throughout that new day; thank Him each night for His help; then repeat. You will be surprised, as I have how many of those unpleasant things you have been putting off are not even necessary. You will be able to make the most of every day without worry or stress. In the words of that old commercial, “Try it. You’ll like it.”