Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 1:01am
Procrastination
Yesterday I spent somewhere between 4 and 10 hours completing a 20 page research paper; and I would like nothing more than to set it on fire so I could dance on its ashes. My whole day was shot to pieces because of this "thorn in the flesh," and I still have 3 papers — not as nasty however — to go before I can call this semester quits and run for the hills for a month of holiday vacation. Every year I have ever been in school I find myself in the same situation. I can hear the silvery bells of Christmas. And then the blaring tornado siren of term papers drowns them out. I only wish I had started sooner.
I am a procrastinator. I don't seem to care until the last millisecond. I try to start nice and studios but unless I have a little pressure I can't perform and as a result I don't accomplish everything I want to. My desk is a testimony of my life. Everytime I go spelunking through all the books and papers stacked on it I always find buried treasure along with assignments I have forgotten about that are usual due in less than 24 hours.
It's easy to laugh off this little problem — we all do it from time to time; but as a follower of Christ I can't help be convicted I am not following God's example. In the Bible there are multiple time prophecies. Books like Daniel and Revelation are chock full of them. And they're important.
In Daniel there are prophecies about kingdoms rising and falling and then prophecies regarding the coming of Christ's Kingdom at the end of time. They are given to us as a reassurance that God is in control of the past, present and future. Speaking of this Daniel says, "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Daniel 2:21). That's a lot to keep track of.
Can you imagine if God procrastinated giving you wisdom at the right time? Or what about forgetting to set up good rulers or take down bad ones? What if He just got so busy answering prayers that all the minute interworkings of nature, human life, time, and space were set aside to deal with at a later time? Can you imagine the chaos? Knowing how you and I procrastinate how would you like to have God's schedule?
If I am to be an imitator of God then that means I need to organize my time better so I don't have chaos like I do now. "For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace..." (1 Cor 14:33). If my life is out of control there is a good chance I am not following Christ's example like I should. Coincidently, I always notice at times of chaos my devotional life is minimal.
This week if you are in chaos take time for God and take time to follow His example by making a schedule and sticking to it. It maybe hard at first — getting to bed on time and having to miss Leno, getting up early and having to miss the end of that nice dream; or doing the hard work before playing your PS2/reading that novel/staring off into space imaging yourself doing work — but in the end you won't feel dead trying to meet your deadlines.
Now, back to finishing those papers...
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Seth Pierce is a published author. His first book, Pride and Seek, is published through Review and Herald Publishing Association. He is currently working on a seminary degree at Andrews University as well as other writing projects. His email is {email pastorpierce@hotmail.com}pastorpierce@hotmail.com{/email}.© copyright 2005 by Seth Pierce.
— — —
UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum is a big tent for all expressions
of faith and spirituality, neither excluding nor favoring any.
All opinions expressed belong to the writer alone, and are
not necessarily shared by UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum.
I am a procrastinator. I don't seem to care until the last millisecond. I try to start nice and studios but unless I have a little pressure I can't perform and as a result I don't accomplish everything I want to. My desk is a testimony of my life. Everytime I go spelunking through all the books and papers stacked on it I always find buried treasure along with assignments I have forgotten about that are usual due in less than 24 hours.
It's easy to laugh off this little problem — we all do it from time to time; but as a follower of Christ I can't help be convicted I am not following God's example. In the Bible there are multiple time prophecies. Books like Daniel and Revelation are chock full of them. And they're important.
In Daniel there are prophecies about kingdoms rising and falling and then prophecies regarding the coming of Christ's Kingdom at the end of time. They are given to us as a reassurance that God is in control of the past, present and future. Speaking of this Daniel says, "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Daniel 2:21). That's a lot to keep track of.
Can you imagine if God procrastinated giving you wisdom at the right time? Or what about forgetting to set up good rulers or take down bad ones? What if He just got so busy answering prayers that all the minute interworkings of nature, human life, time, and space were set aside to deal with at a later time? Can you imagine the chaos? Knowing how you and I procrastinate how would you like to have God's schedule?
If I am to be an imitator of God then that means I need to organize my time better so I don't have chaos like I do now. "For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace..." (1 Cor 14:33). If my life is out of control there is a good chance I am not following Christ's example like I should. Coincidently, I always notice at times of chaos my devotional life is minimal.
This week if you are in chaos take time for God and take time to follow His example by making a schedule and sticking to it. It maybe hard at first — getting to bed on time and having to miss Leno, getting up early and having to miss the end of that nice dream; or doing the hard work before playing your PS2/reading that novel/staring off into space imaging yourself doing work — but in the end you won't feel dead trying to meet your deadlines.
Now, back to finishing those papers...
———
Seth Pierce is a published author. His first book, Pride and Seek, is published through Review and Herald Publishing Association. He is currently working on a seminary degree at Andrews University as well as other writing projects. His email is {email pastorpierce@hotmail.com}pastorpierce@hotmail.com{/email}.© copyright 2005 by Seth Pierce.
UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum is a big tent for all expressions
of faith and spirituality, neither excluding nor favoring any.
All opinions expressed belong to the writer alone, and are
not necessarily shared by UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum.