Now Do It!

"Now do it!" (2 Samuel 3:18); "Do not leave any of it till morning ..." (Exodus 12:10).

Putting off duties is a shortcoming that brings us up short of the perfection God wants of us. Emerson wrote in his Journals (1834), "We are always getting ready to live, but never living." Perhaps we can amend that to, "We are always getting ready to work, but seldom getting to work." "Eventually" never becomes "actually" and the sweet by-and-by becomes the bitter never. Procrastination is not only a thief of time but finally a thief of self-respect and a robber of the good we can do for others, as well.

At thirty, man suspects himself a fool;
Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan;
At fifty chides his infamous delay;
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve;
In all magnanimity of thought
Resolves, and re-resolves; then dies the same.
Edward Young.

Procrastination is a killer of time and motivation. It borrows on tomorrow's time. Today is yesterday's tomorrow, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. When we are inspired to do what we need to do, then we can't waste a minute of irreplaceable time in getting on with what we need to do, while we have time and health to do it. We have many unwarranted reasons to put off what God wants of us, too. Felix told Paul, "Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you" (Acts 24:25). There is no record of Felix ever finding the time to summon Paul!

John Ruskin is said to have taken for his great life-motto the simple word, "Today." In his library he had before him the text, "Work, while it is yet called today." There is a time for everything and it is indeed today, while we have the Light. "The wise heart will know the proper time and procedure, for there is a proper time and procedure for every matter..." (Ecclesiastes 8:5,6). We are to redeem God's irredeemable time: "Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 4:15,16)