“I’m not waiting until the first of the year,” I told my husband.  “I’m going to stop eating sugar today.  There is no point in putting it off.”  In January of this year I decided to go on a sugar fast.  It lasted over 10 months.  During that time I felt better and lost over 40 pounds.  But somewhere along November I began to eat a little here and a little there.  With the holidays I rationalized that it would be better to just wait until after the New Year to start the sugar fast again.  But the truth is that a person can rationalize anything.  Dana and I had just gotten back from the gym.  We were sitting down eating breakfast when it hit me.  Why wait until the first of the year?  Why put it off?   The longer I wait the harder it will be.

Procrastination is a killer.  How much time has been wasted by procrastinating?  Our time is extremely valuable and in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “You may delay, but time will not.”  The psalmist prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” Psalm 90:12. A wise person will realize that time is short and our days are limited; therefore there is no time to waste.  James puts it like this, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away,” James 4:14.

 I would say that we all have areas in our life that need addressing.  And quite frankly, the physical is easier to work on than the spiritual. It is much easier to quit sugar than it is to quit worrying.  It is easier to go to the gym than it is to go out and witness to my neighbors.  It is easier to spend hours organizing my home than it is to spend hours in prayer.  While the physical might be easier, the spiritual is so much more valuable.  (Read I Timothy 4:8.)  The problem is in our “want-to”.  Peter Marshall once alleged, “Most of us know perfectly well what we ought to do; our trouble is that we do not want to do it.”  I’m afraid that is all too true.  There are bad habits in my life that I need to quit.  And there are good things that I need to be doing.  For a child of God this is called sanctification. And the repercussion of not doing it is called sin. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin,” James 4:17.

 Are there things in your life that you have been putting off?  Have you been procrastinating within your Christian walk? Can you afford to delay any longer? Has time been wasting?  Have opportunities been lost this year?  Is there an area in your life that you can improve on?  I know that I can and I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to gently nudge me toward holiness.

Commit with me to not procrastinate any longer.  Stop dragging your feet; instead consider taking a few of these practical steps toward spiritual growth.

•   Commit to daily verse by verse Bible study (Isaiah 28:9-10)
•   Get involved in ministry and work in a local church (Ephesians 3:21)
•   Joyfully serve your family (Proverbs 31:27)
•   Be more of an encourager to others (I Thessalonians 5:11)
•   Memorize Scripture (Psalms 119:11)
•   Sacrificially give more (2 Corinthians 9:7)
•   Ask forgiveness and make amends with someone (Matthew 5:23-24)
•   Spend more time in prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17)
•   Witness and share your testimony more (Matthew 28:19-20)

This list is not exclusive.  Much more could be added to it.  Just be sure you do not make the mistake of thinking that it must all be done at once.  Pick an area in your life that you have been procrastinating in and work on that.  It takes one step at a time.  I often remind my children of these principles.

•  You eat an elephant one bite at a time.
•  You become a millionaire one dollar at a time.
•  You form a habit one day at a time.
•  You climb a tower one step at a time.
•  You change the world one person at a time.

It won’t be easy but living the abundant life is not about easy.  Vance Havner reminds us that, “Taking it easy is often the prelude to backsliding. Comfort precedes collapse.”  So dear Christian friend, what are you waiting for?

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way,” Psalm 37:23.