Question 1

Why do I procrastinate? And is it really so bad?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 6:6-11Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.Procrastination can be a form of laziness that the Bible calls sin. If worry is taking responsibility for things we have no control over, procrastination is not taking responsibility for things we do have control over. Procrastination often multiplies our troubles by adding stress and worry to the work we initially had to do.Jonah 1:1-3Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.Jonah practiced active procrastination: He was charged to go one direction and he went the opposite way. Fear of the cost of obeying God can paralyze us or cause us to run from God and waste the very resources and talents he has given us. We should never put off doing, or run away from, what we know God wants us to do.Matthew 25:14-30“The servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ . . . To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”Fear of failure can make it hard to start on a task. It’s better to try and fail a couple times than to never try at all. Blaming God for the assignment and resources he gives us is never a legitimate excuse for failing to carry out our duties.Psalm 143:7Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.Depression often causes procrastination. In the midst of depression, it can be difficult to do anything. The psalm writers were survivors because they called out to God no matter what conditions they were suffering. By looking to God for help, they were planting seeds for hope and action.Luke 8:13“The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.”1 Thessalonians 3:5That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.Procrastination sometimes follow from temptation. One of Satan’s strategies is to tempt us away from doing the work God has assigned us.

Question 2

What are the dangers of procrastination?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 22:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!”Proverbs 26:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”The first proverb names the danger; the second assumes it. But lazy people are inclined to invent silly reasons to avoid necessary work. Making excuses is an unhealthy habit of most procrastinators. An invented danger is never a legitimate excuse for putting off necessary work.Joshua 18:1-3Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?”Procrastination, at times, can be a form of disobedience against God. Honoring God with others doesn’t mean much if we’re not doing what he clearly assigned us to do.Ecclesiastes 3:1-11For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.Ephesians 5:16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.Procrastination causes us to miss significant opportunities and responsibilities in life. Time is a gift from God and should not be squandered.Matthew 25:13“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”The most costly form of procrastination is a failure to prepare for the return of Christ.

Question 3

Is procrastination a sin?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 12:24Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.Proverbs 24:30-34I walked by the field of a lazy person, . . . I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. . . . I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.Romans 12:11Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.James 4:17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.Procrastination fits among the sins of omission. We often think of sin as doing something we should not do, but sin is also the failure to do what we should. The Bible calls laziness a sin, and procrastination is the precursor to laziness. The more you procrastinate, the less time you have to help and serve others. The cure for procrastination is purpose. Purpose is finding a greater reason and motivation for doing something you know you should, but don’t really want to. Purpose requires courage; you must confront yourself or the enemy, and have the discipline to say no to what distracts you from your purpose. Don’t let procrastination lead you into sin.