Why do I procrastinate? And is it really so bad? - Procrastination - TouchPoints

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.