What Value Is There in Confessing Irresponsibility?

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the youngster who came to class empty-handed proclaiming, “My dog ate my homework.” A teacher might excuse a student once for concocting such a story, but if procrastination is the issue, then blaming the dog will cease to be acceptable.

Why is it so difficult to own up to procrastination and say, “Yes it’s my fault. I put off finishing the task until it was too late to finish. This is a bad habit.” Confessing to a fault is painful, and courage is required to be honest, but taking ownership to procrastinating is necessary for change.

God’s word assures us that confession of irresponsibility is what God honors. Listen to James 5:16: “Admit your faults and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Pray for courage to be the kind of person who is honest in all things.          

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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

~2 Peter 1:5-7 New International Version

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STOP! Evaluate Your Impulses

Passion is defined as a strong fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for something special. You can see how passion can center on either righteous or evil objectives. Passion has the ability to create emotions for motivating a person to possess what is thought to be absolutely essential for happiness.

Passion eventually reveals strengths and weaknesses, which define character and beliefs. In the book of Judges, Samson had trouble distinguishing between following what God approved of and satisfying his own desires. When an impulse or desire became conscious, he acted with little thought of healthy boundaries.

  

The Lord God cautions us to evaluate an impulse before acting on it. “Do not be as children tossed about by every wind and doctrine,” and “Add goodness and knowledge to your faith. To these add self-control and endurance.” Evaluating impulses requires patience, but God through the power of the Holy Spirit will give self-control and patience to those who earnestly seek these boundary markers.  

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Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge; and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with [Christian] affection, and [Christian] affection with love for everyone.

~2 Peter 1:5-7 New Living Translation