“Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest.” Ecclesiastes 11:4 (GST)
The message of this verse is “quit procrastinating!” Quit looking for excuses to put off doing those things in your life that are really important. If you are waiting for perfect conditions to tackle that critical task you’ll never do it. (I’m preaching to myself here!)
Let’s settle the matter right now. Today will not be a perfect day nor will this be the perfect week. In fact 2011 will not be a perfect year. Life is not perfect.
The winds of adversity will buffet you bringing distractions and urgent demands that seek to blow you off course. Clouds will roll in bringing discouragement and fear of failure tempting you to abandon your plans.
In an agrarian society there is nothing more important than planting and harvesting. That is the farmer’s livelihood. Failing to sow the seed will never bring a harvest. And failing to harvest will foolishly waste the fruit. No farmer in his right mind will allow any excuse, even threats of adversity, to keep him from sowing his seed or harvesting his crop.
We are all like the farmer. We have valuable seeds to sow and rich harvests to reap. They are the gifts that God has given us in terms of creative ideas and unique abilities. But like the farmer, we must quit watching the wind and looking at the clouds.
When we hesitate to implement the creative ideas God has given us we miss out on the harvest He intends to send our way. And when we hold back in using the abilities He has blessed us with we fail to live up to our full potential. This is the tragic result of procrastination.
Stop and think. What important things in your life are you procrastinating doing? Often it is something that if you actually did it, it could greatly benefit your life and even the lives of those around you. Maybe it’s something God has been nudging you to do. You have sensed the repeated whisper of the Holy Spirit encouraging you to step out in faith.
Don’t let procrastination and fear based excuses keep you from missing God’s blessings. Quit putting off making that commitment, starting that project or pursuing that life long dream. Quit waiting for the perfect time and conditions before you begin. Overcome inertia and lethargy and get to it – just do it.
2011 can be your year! Isn’t it time you finally did whatever it is you’ve been dreaming about doing? Aren’t you tired of feeling the regret of missed opportunities? Don’t you want to finally get to work on that long awaited goal?
Invite God to be your partner, get out in the field, put the plow in the ground and get started You’ll be surprised how easy it is and you may find yourself wishing you had done it sooner.
Do you have any tips to help procrastinators? Please share them.
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Pastor Tom….there is so much that can be said about this. I am not proud to say but there have been those times in my life where God has prompted me to step out and do something and I failed to follow his “nudge” only to greatly regret it and realize that I missed out on an opportunity to be His tool. You would have thought after the first time that I would have learned…but no. Different situation and procrastinated a situation and it may have cost someone dearly. I was prompted to do this 2 times before two people I knew died. Procrastination is wrong on so many levels and yet we continue to do it over and over again. I think I will use the Nike slogan here and say…”just do it”. Really don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today! Tomorrow may not offer you the missed opportunity of today. I think so many times we allow outside or worldly influences to affect us in doing what we know God wants us to do. We are so “bogged down” by things that don’t matter in this life instead of what does in the next. So….that said….my new slogan:
TOMORROW MAY NOT OFFER YOU THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY OF TODAY….
SO WHEN GOD PROMPTS….GET IT DONE WITHOUT DELAY….
Hey….and it even rhymes….God inspired and I didn’t procrastinate on it.
Thank you for your excellent posts.
Diane – a very passionate & poignant appeal to us all! I love your saying! Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom!