‘”Youth is the time of getting, middle age of improving, and old age of spending; a negligent youth is usually attended by an ignorant middle age, and both by an empty old age.” Teenagers think they are bullet-proof and don’t know that a man reaps what he sows. Someone has to tell them that grass grows up, not down, so that they can know when to roll their eyes.’
- Douglas Wilson from Beyond Stateliest Marble: The Passionate Femininity of Anne Bradstreet
At certain times of the year I feel the effects of my own bad habits. Unfortunately I don’t seem to feel them often enough to affect change in myself, resulting in the fact that I only really want to change while feeling the effects of something, which is also the time when I realize that it’s beyond my power to change, which all compounds to make me feel worse.
One of the besetting sins in my life, which God, not me, is slowly reforming and changing, is the art (which it really is!) of procrastination. Never mind what my other sins are – maybe I’ll broadcast them over the web some other time for you all to read about, right now I’m focusing on this one. Thinking it over, there aren’t too many pros to procrastination. Zero, I think, when all is said and done. The cons however are many and usually involve multiple headaches, worry, and tears (well, if your a girl that is – I don’t how the guys behave).
Really, is there anything good about putting off what needs to be done today? You not only don’t get whatever it was done, you move closer to your deadline and it is usually accompanied with the realization/feeling that you are lazy, worthless, and are unable to do anything right.
Which is true, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m so thankful to be a Christian.
Despite all my sins and despite my deplorable procrastination and failure to be perfect, I still have hope for God is gracious and mighty and willing to forgive much. If it wasn’t for the knowledge that He loves me enough to forgive me all my sins, I know that I would quickly despair and fall into an unceasing depression over my own incapability to achieve perfection in my life.
And really, I think that God sometimes withholds from us the grace to conquer a sin, because in His wisdom He knows that if He did, we, poor fallen humans that we are, would attribute the conquering to ourselves and become full of pride. So, maybe after all there is a good effect of sin in our lives; it keeps us humble, constantly turning to God for help and grace and growing in our relationship with Him.
As it is, I have peace in Christ my Savior knowing that even if I can’t achieve perfection in myself (which I certainly have tried), I have a Savior, Brother, and Friend who cared enough for me to take my many sins upon Himself and suffer the penalty that I richly deserve.
How amazing and wonderful is that?!
Galena
P.S. this post was the result of the following:
Me: I need to post something…. what do I post on?
Lydia: post on the evils of procrastination
Dad: there you go.
Me (to myself): okay.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
For those who still read this:
I’ll be doing some changes to this blog in the upcoming weeks.
Galena