What Renders Worry Powerless?

Procrastination can become a habit, a way of life, because it is linked to worry and feelings of insecurity. Worry can be a stumbling block to achieving a goal by obsessing about what might go wrong or of failure. Jesus asked, “Why worry? God provides for the birds. How much more will he provide for you?”

Worry distorts the power of an inanimate object or person, which then empowers procrastination. Seneca, the first century Roman philosopher noted, “He will suffer more than necessary who suffers before it is needed.” Wisdom teaches us never to meet trouble halfway but to render it impotent by eliminating it.

Listen to the Apostle Paul’s advice. “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God your needs and thank him for his answers.” The solution to procrastination and worry is trust God’s plan for you. Trust that God is on your side, and he will supply whatever your needs are at this moment.  

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Oh, praise the Lord, for he has listened to my pleadings! He is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trusted in him and he helped me. Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to him.

~Psalm 28:6-7 The Living Bible

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What Possible Solution Is There for Procrastination?

Becoming indifferent to a person’s feelings and needs is possible, just as procrastination can become habitual. Indifference indicates an attitude of apathy or a lack of feelings. Procrastination may confirm a lack of concern or motivation.

While comparing the negative and positive characteristics of a decision is beneficial, getting stuck on the negative promotes procrastination. The habitual procrastinator may fail to see the link between perpetual postponements and failure to live up to one’s potential.

Procrastination associated with anxiety often causes a person to imagine the worst possible situation. So what’s the solution? Keep in mind that God did not call you to failure or mediocrity, so begin by focusing on one possible facet of a challenge or decision and imagine how you and others will benefit from completing that task. Trust in the Lord for guidance, and he will provide it as you determine to complete the objective.  

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Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.

~Psalm 37:3-5 New Living Translation 

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What Gives Indifference Its Power?

What inspires an emotional state of indifference to settle in and become permanent? It could be a relationship that has lost its appeal. People are perceptive enough to know that a relationship is in trouble and insightful enough to correct problems before a crisis becomes full-blown. Procrastination, however, prevents corrective action from being taken.

A college student realized his marriage was in trouble. The university’s counseling center offered free counseling, but he just couldn’t make the call. He was too ashamed to admit his marriage was a failure. As time progressed, indifference to his wife ended what had begun with so much promise.

Consider some “what if’s”. What if they had not permitted procrastination to evolve into indifference? What if they had permitted God to help them repent of procrastination and indifference and to forgive each other’s neglect? God is willing to give you a clean heart and a fresh start when you reach out to him in faith. Why not do that now?  

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Now then, confess your sins to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him.

~Ezra 10:11 Good News Bible

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What Will Fight Against Procrastination's Indifference?

Procrastination can be frustrating because of failure to do what is right. Guilt related to feeling disappointed in oneself and in failing others can easily surface. Procrastination has the power to blunt your conscience so that guilt and shame lose their intensity but are then covered over by indifference.

Albert Speer, the Nazi war criminal, argued in a 1971 interview: “I did not hate them: I was indifferent to them. My crime was far worse because I was not an anti-Semite. … My conscience was …eaten away day by day …by a multiplicity of little crimes. …As the Nazi environment enveloped me, its evils grew invisible – because I was part of [the evils].”

Lack of strong countermeasures against evil results in becoming indifferent. Indifference verifies that compassion is not a part of your character and integrity. If this has happened to you, ask God to forgive you of indifference and replace it with a renewed love for Christ Jesus. Do not delay in making this request.                           

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In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from him and be empowered through your union with him] and in the power of his [boundless] might.

~Ephesians 6:10 Amplified Bible

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How Are Procrastination and Avoidance Alike?

Do procrastination and avoidance sound like twin behaviors? To procrastinate means to put off or postpone doing a task. Avoidance means dodging or averting responsibility for something or someone. Procrastination and avoidance can evolve into indifference, which can be intentional or incidental.

Procrastination’s triumph is creating indifference to an issue even when neglect has or will produce severe repercussions. It’s analogous to feeling no guilt for failing to be responsible in some significant area of life. Guilt propels a person to make things right, to apologize, to clear up neglect.

The guilt David felt for the death of Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, was suppressed until God’s messenger Nathan reminded David of his sin. When you feel guilty, God’s message is to confess, repent, seek forgiveness, and make amends. Remember, you can do all things through Christ Jesus. There is no better time than this moment to begin.  

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Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” – when you now have it with you.

~Proverbs 3:27-28 New International Version

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What Are the Consequences for Procrastination?

Procrastination is a major reason for failure, but it’s seldom admitted to because blaming others is more acceptable. Postponing decisions is a recipe for defaulting on what could have been a success. I heard about a college freshman who failed all his classes but blamed the professors for being too demanding.

The problem originated when he was rescued from failure by a determined mother who made sure her son did his homework and studied for tests. Another distraught mother felt she had gone through high school twice by doing her son’s homework, writing his papers, and preparing him for tests.

The habit of procrastination leads to failure and disaster. This habit can be overcome by realizing procrastination has no positive, redeeming values. God’s objective is to redeem you and give you a new purpose-driven life when you’re ready to be transformed. God will help you redefine what to do with the rest of your life. 

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Hard work is worthwhile, but empty talk will make you poor.

~Proverbs 14:23 Contemporary English Version

 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

~Hebrews 12:11 English Standard Version

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What Prevents Procrastination from Becoming a Habit?

The word ‘procrastination’ is disliked by procrastinators because of its negative connotations. The procrastinator’s motto is, “Put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today.” Benjamin Franklin wrote in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “Tomorrow, every Fault is to be amended; but that Tomorrow never comes.”

While postponements may be the first choice, unrestricted delays contribute to procrastination’s becoming a habit. However, postponements are necessary if, for example, purchasing an expensive item would wreck personal finances. Postponing a career to have a family can be fulfilling for a woman who is in a position to do.

Yet, neglecting to make an important decision because of this habit can create repercussions that may continue indefinitely. So let today be the day of deliverance by coming “near to God and he will come near to you.” Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart at this moment, so go ahead and open it.   

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Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.

~Proverbs 6:4 New Living Translation

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What Is Wasted by Procrastinating?

What makes procrastination an issue for so many individuals? Is it just a habit that creates problems with potentially severe consequences? Procrastination can begin in childhood by a person putting off doing chores, failing to complete homework, or studying for tests. 

Procrastination is a precursor to failure, so it’s frequently rationalized and justified with excuses, even when they don’t make sense. For the habitual procrastinator, any excuse is justification for failure. However, each failure chips away at one’s self-esteem.

A father gave his son this advice, “Know the value of time, so seize and enjoy every moment of it. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Think about the time you have as a gift from God. He reminds us, “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the sun.” So let it become precious, a treasure to be used in godly pursuits, and you will be richly blessed.  

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Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.

~Psalm 90:12 The Living Bible

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How Is Procrastination Sabotaging You?

 A habit can be a steppingstone to a fulfilling life or a stone for stumbling. Good study habits are a steppingstone to good grades and a rewarding career. Good study habits enhance intelligence through gaining knowledge and understanding of what is required to be successful in life.

A stumbling block can be a bad habit that sabotages success by pulling you into a web from which it is difficult to escape. Procrastination as a habit steals productive time that is wasted through distractions and idleness. Laziness is often identified as a main feature of procrastination.

When we procrastinate, we stumble over what could be the conduit for our success. If we stumble over what Got puts before us, he will pass it on to someone who will see it through to completion. “There is a right time and a right way to do everything,” according to Ecclesiastes 8:6. What do you need to do right now? 

  

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Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed,’ declares the Lord God.”

~Ezekiel 12:28 English Standard Version

 

[Jesus said,] “All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.”

~John 9:4 The Living Bible

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How Do Bad Habits Promote Darkness?

Life is composed of habits that can promote a healthy lifestyle, while addictions promote physical and emotional suffering. A bad habit can be a stumbling block to one’s walk with God by blocking the knowledge and wisdom on how to live life as God intended.

The internet is a significant tool for personal and professional use but can become addictive and a stumbling block. Romans 14:13 warns, “Make up your mind not to erect stumbling blocks in your own life or anyone else’s.” Anyone causing a person to stumble is in danger of severe consequences.

Bad habits are like darkness, as Proverbs 4:18-19 points out. “The path of the righteous is like the gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” The light of the world is Jesus, who gives power to move beyond the pitfall of any habit.  

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If we claim that we experience a shared life with [Christ] and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth – we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.

~1 John 1:6-7 The Message

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Does Idleness Reflect Laziness?

Habit formation is second nature to human beings. Think for a moment about the things you do on a routine basis that are helpful and good. Include those that are not so good. Most Americans have a habit of collecting "stuff," things believed to be useful and then put away for the future.

A personal habit could be wearing clothes for only one season because a person’s job or profession requires current fashion. Behaviors that become a habit often originate out of a healthy need, but then find a permanent life of their own long after the need ceases to exist.

Have you thought of idleness as being a habit? I’m not referring to resting or relaxing but to purposely killing time. Ecclesiastes 10:18 offers this analogy: “If a man is lazy, his rafters sag; if his hands are idle, his roof leaks.” When a behavior is viewed from God’s perspective, conviction leads to corrective action and positive change.  

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…We hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives and who do nothing except meddle in other people’s business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command these people and warn them to lead orderly lives and work to earn their own living. But you, friends, must not become tired of doing good.

~2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 Good News Bible

 

[Jesus said,] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

~Matthew 11:28 New International Version 

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Why Is It So Difficult to Cease Being Prejudiced?

Who can honestly proclaim they are completely free of prejudice? Have you considered how you learned to be prejudiced? Actor W. C. Fields humorously proclaimed, “I am free of all prejudice; I hate everyone equally.” He could say this because he knew the truth. Prejudice can be like an addiction.

When my children were in elementary school, they had friends from other races and religions, but in middle school things changed. Some children whose religion or race was more exclusive were encouraged to refrain from friendships with classmates who were different. For the first time they experienced a type of prejudice that was hurtful and sad.

Listen to 1 Timothy 5:21 as God’s word instructs us concerning prejudice. “In the presence of God, Jesus Christ, and the holy angels, I solemnly call upon you to cease showing any prejudice to anyone in everything you do.” Good objectives for us to pursue.  

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The Lord said, …“I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”

~1 Samuel 16:7 Good News Bible

 

[Jesus said to them,] “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

~John 7:24 New International Version

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How Are Feelings of Prejudice Acquired?

 Every family can have a member who allows a harmful habit to become disruptive to the family’s peace and rest. It’s interesting how a chosen behavior ends up becoming a habit by repeated exposure. One encounter can lead to endless craving.

Some habits are healthy, like eating good food, going to church, reading the Bible, and daily prayer. Some are amusing, like looking for an item in its old place after it’s been moved. An annoying habit can be waking up at a particular time when you want to sleep in on weekends.

One of the most destructive habits humans acquire, regardless of their socioeconomic status, is being  prejudiced. Listen to Job’s question to his friends. “If God looks at you closely, what will he find? Never think God can be deceived even though your prejudice is hidden.” Ask God to help you see others as he sees and loves them and then let that be your objective. 

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So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.

~Galatians 3:28 Good News Bible 

You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.

~James 2:8-9 Contemporary English Version 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

~2 Corinthians 3:17 New International Version

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