“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
John 9:4, KJV
When my husband and I pulled into the driveway after our workout at the gym, I noticed the ivy around the garage window needed to be cut back. Since I’d mentioned it to him several times before I said, “Maybe it’s time for us to move to a smaller place.”
His quick response was, “I think it would be easier to cut the ivy.”
Thomas Jefferson said, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” That’s wise advice, but I must confess I’ve put off following it. The stark reality of my philosophy resembles that of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind: “I can’t think about that right now. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
God gave the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the twelve tribes of Israel. Over a year later, seven tribes had not entered the land to receive their inheritance. In their eyes, the enemy was too great. It was easier for them to remain in their comfort zone on the opposite side of the Jordan River. In exasperation Joshua asked, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Joshua 18:3).
Before we judge the Israelites too harshly, perhaps we should take inventory of our own lives. What has God asked you to do? What has he asked of me?
Procrastination is a thief. It not only robs us of time—a precious commodity we can’t retrieve—it robs us of the blessings of obedience. God gives us seven days a week to get things done, but for many of us the eighth day―Someday―is our most heavily scheduled day.
Scripture tells us, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). If we wait for perfect conditions to begin our tasks, we’ll never get anything done. We’ll simply put things off time and again.
Is there something you’ve been putting off? If you want to make an easy job seem hard, keep putting it off. Today is the day to make that phone call. Start your diet. Find a church. Write a letter. Say I’m sorry. Join the gym. Clean your fridge. Lunch with a friend. Write your book, or simply say, “I love you.”
Don’t press God to say, “How long will you wait?” Make today your Someday.
-Starr Ayers