Continue from yesterday’s question; what are you doing for
heaven’s sake?
Here’s the second
question: what does God have to do get your full attention? Look at what God
had to do to get Jonah’s attention. Verse 17: “Now the Lord provided a huge
fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and
three nights.” God will put you in a place where he has your full attention
because other people’s lives depend upon it . . . it’s not just about you. When
you live a life outside of God’s purpose, it will lead to nothing but a belly
full of frustration. Look where Jonah was. Have you ever been there? In the
belly of a fish – it doesn’t say whale, does it? We just know it was a great
fish churning gastric juices! Recognize the symptoms: life stinks; a closed-in
feeling where you can’t get a foothold; you’re out of control. The fish’s
agenda becomes your agenda. Wherever the fish goes you go, so you’re in this
frenzied roller coaster existence. Yet God has created you for something
better. But guess what? Our lives are such that He will put you in a place
where you are stripped of all of your props to get your full attention. So what
is God doing right now to get your attention?
Here’s the third question: what are you waiting for? Look at
where Jonah goes in 2:1-3, “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.”
Whoa! What a novel idea. “In my distress I called consequences of
procrastination. Here’s three of them: First, it wastes opportunities in life.
Ephesians 5:16 says, “Make the most of every opportunity for doing good.” The
way to live a joy filled life is to take every opportunity that God sends our
way and make the most of it. When opportunity knocks, you open the door. I
wonder how many opportunities we’ve lost because we’ve procrastinated,
opportunities to make a difference in a relationship or in another person’s
life or to make a difference with my life in the world?
Second, it causes problems. Proverbs 15:19 “A lazy person
has trouble all through life.” Do you ever procrastinate on getting your gas
tank filled up? Then the next day you run out of gas and you’re stuck and late
for an appointment. Even more tragic is when someone who has procrastinated
about going to the doctor. When they finally do go, they found that the cancer
had spread beyond control. The fact is delaying never solves anything. It only
makes things worse. The longer you wait, the harder it is. It never gets
easier. It always gets harder.
Third, it hurts others. Many of us never realize
procrastination at its core is unloving. Showingto the Lord, and he answered
me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to
my cry. You hurled me deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the current
swirled about me.” So how can you purge procrastination? First, stop making
excuses. Stop making excuses for what you’ve been putting off. Proverbs 22:13a
(LB) says, “The lazy man is full of excuses.” The people who do things with
their life, who get stuff done, stop making excuses. They accept
responsibility. They don’t blame others. They don’t blame circumstances. They
choose to do something with their life because they stop making excuses and get
on with it. What excuse are you giving for not doing what you know you need to
do? Second, ask God for help. If you find yourself procrastinating in an area
or issue in your life, ask God for help. Why? Because procrastination in any
area of your life is a spiritual problem.
To be continued..............
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