1 John 1:8-9 (NIV) If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.
If you have read any of my
previous devotions, you know a few things about me. First, you know I always
strive to write whatever it is that I feel the Lord is laying on my heart for
others to read... especially when “others” includes me! Secondly,
you know that I always strive to write things that are motivational,
thoughtful, and encouraging. Occasionally, my thoughts and my writings take on a
more serious vibe, and such is the theme of today.
SIN: No, not the egregious sins of murder,
stealing, immorality and the like. I’m talking about the sins we often downplay
as minor irritations, flaws, slight deviations of character. The ones we think
really aren’t so bad, and certainly not as bad as the flaws we find in
“others.” Yes, those are the sins I am targeting. Why? Because I am
chief among the sinners who need forgiveness offered by our Gracious Heavenly
Father; the forgiveness provided by the ultimate sacrificial blood of his Only
Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Furthermore, if the ‘sin’ highlighted in today’s devotion is pricking at my heart convicting me of the need for
forgiveness, then I know I am not alone and others may feel conviction pricking
at their hearts, too.
The Sneaky Sin of Procrastination
“okay, I’ll get that done right
away, but I need to...”
“wait a minute, I need to finish
(___) first...”
“my phone just beeped, let me just
check to see...”
“it’s almost time for (___), I’ll
do it right after...”
I think the sin of procrastination hit me the
hardest not too long ago when I promised I’d pray about something... then 45
minutes or an hour later when I finally sat down to pray about whatever the
important situation was; I felt piercingly convicted as if the Lord was asking me, “Dotty,
if it was so important, why are you just now getting around to telling me? I
have known about this all along, even before you knew about it, but do you
realize how many things you did first before you actually started to pray?” Now I have to say this
was not audible voices, but just thoughts in my head; nevertheless, they seemed
to be thoughts of conviction by the Holy Spirit who lives and dwells inside of
each Christian – inside of you – inside of me.
My second example of the sin of procrastination took place at
a fast food restaurant. A worker in obvious distress over a huge mess he was
cleaning, was told “good morning,” to which he responded, “What’s good about
it?” Immediately I
had the tug at my heart to tell him, “You, you are what’s
good about today! Your Heavenly Father who sees whatever you are
going through and gives you strength to handle it, is what’s good about today!” Of course, I
procrastinated, convincing myself of all the reasons I should not respond, all
the reasons I shouldn’t get involved, all the reasons it wasn’t any of my
business, ...and of course within moments I missed the opportunity. I can never
get that moment back. The sneaky sin of procrastination caused me to miss the opportunity to
encourage someone.
This same sin of procrastination sneaks up on all of us and affects us all in
one way or another. We must each seek our Heavenly Father’s forgiveness as it
pertains to how the Lord is leading in our own life. For now, I will simply
leave you with a few of my favorite verses that have helped me through the
years:
Matthew 6:6-8 (NIV) But when you pray, go into your
room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not
keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of
their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need
before you ask him.
Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
Colossians 3:17, 23 (NIV) And whatever you do,
whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father through him. ... Whatever you do, work at it with all your
heart, as working for the Lord...
In my final thoughts, I want to assure you that God
is already very aware of our needs and our circumstances. He knows the urgency
of our hearts’ pleadings. But answers provided within his will and his way, within his timing, are always the
best answers we could ever hope for. However; on our end and from our perspective,
if we promise to pray about anything, then that is exactly what we should do
without hesitation and without putting it off until a more convenient time. We
would not want our Heavenly Father to treat us in that way – to tell us that he’s
too busy to listen to our prayer right now because He’s got other more
important prayers to answer, so come back later. Our sins of procrastination – whatever that may be
for each of us – is of a very serious matter – a most urgent one - one which needs your immediate attention.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Forgive us for the many times we put off praying,
or put off doing, what we ought to do. When you lay something on our hearts,
let us give it the utmost attention. Never for a moment allow us to treat you
in any casual or second-thought way. Teach us to put you first in all things.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The
devotional Procrastination - The Sneaky Sin appeared first on Write
From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All
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