Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”
59 He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”
60 Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”
61 Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”
62 Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”
Luke 9: 58-62 The Message
Procrastination. I was going to write about this topic in a devotional a few months ago, but I got busy…..I was procrastinating about addressing procrastination! (Just kidding. I actually wrote this as an attempt at humor… did you chuckle?)
Procrastination comes in different forms. Some things we can put off for a while, like cleaning out that junk drawer. Other tasks have harder deadlines: like filing our taxes. Still other jobs which will catch up with us if we neglect them, like mowing the lawn.
Here Jesus is talking about putting off following Him... immediately. Jesus doesn’t seem amused by those who give him excuses for not following Him at that precise moment. Our Lord knows that if He is put on the back burner of a person’s life, there is a chance that the person will never get around to following Him.
The problem with procrastination is that it can become a habit. One can begin to feel almost comfortable with the habit of delaying and postponing opportunities and responsibilities. When you put things off, you may be so busy catching up that you don’t have time to enjoy the best parts of life. Jesus wants us to choose Him to be the best part of our lives. Jesus knows these truths. Therefore, He insists His followers drop everything to follow Him.
Some did so. When he called the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John, they literally dropped their nets, left their boats, and went with Jesus. Remember the calling of Matthew, the tax collector? Jesus called Him. Right then and there, Matthew stood up and left a table covered with money, in order to follow our Lord. Quite literally, Matthew “left money on the table” to follow Christ!
Are you willing to drop everything you are doing right now when Jesus calls you? Do you put your spiritual life on mute, or sleep mode, so that when it’s convenient, you can fit Him into your schedule? Are you making excuses, and putting him off until tomorrow, or when it is more convenient? These are good questions to ask ourselves…
Let us remember the words of our Lord..
““No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”
Prayer
Precious Lord,
I thank You for wanting me not just for a moment, but always. Forgive me when I put you at the bottom of my “To Do” list. Help me to open myself, and make myself available to You, no matter what my calendar says I should be doing. Help me to seize every opportunity to be a vessel for you. I pray this prayer in Your holy name. Amen
