The Tomorrow Trap

How many of you are procrastinators by nature?  Most of us are.  That’s why the malls are always packed on Christmas eve.  We wait until the last possible minute to do our shopping.  That’s also why most people wait until the last possible minute before they file their taxes.  We’re all a bunch of procrastinators.  For a lot of us it’s like, the only things we don’t procrastinate on are the things we can avoid all together.

You see where I’m going with this.  Tomorrow is a trap.  How many times have you told yourself something like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start on that diet… tomorrow.’ Or, ‘I’m going to get right on that project… tomorrow.’  Or, ‘I’m going to call them… tomorrow.’  Or I’m going to change this or that about myself…tomorrow’ But tomorrow never comes does it?  Of course one of the areas where most people struggle with procrastination is in the area of their spiritual life. 

While procrastinating in any area of life is probably not a good idea, procrastinating in your spiritual life can be flat out dangerous.  Felix serves as the classic example of a guy who refused to make a decision one way or the other regarding Christ.  We find his story in the last part of Acts 24.   He kept putting the decision off and putting it off until eventually, it became too late.  As far as we know, his chance passed. 

‘Procrastination is the thief of time,’ wrote Edward Young.  Perhaps he was thinking about the English proverb, ‘One of these days is none of these days.’ Procrastination is also the thief of souls.  The most convenient season for a lost sinner to be saved is right now.  ‘Behold now is the day of salvation.’ {2^nd Cor. 6:2} 

After listening to an impassioned defense of the gospel, Felix responded by saying, 'I’ll call for you when I have a more convenient season.’  That is perhaps Satan’s greatest and most effective lie.  Many people who have every intention of coming to Christ, just never get around to it because they’re waiting for a more convenient season. The claims of Jesus are never going to be convenient for us; if we insist on waiting for a convenient time, we will wait forever.  There’s never a convenient time to repent.  That’s why the Bible always says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.’ {Hebrews 3}

The prophet Joel described life as a valley of decision, ‘Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.’ {Joel 3:14}  Many of you find yourselves in just such a place today.  What has the Lord been putting on your heart?   Has He been calling you to repent of some sin?  Or make some change in your life?  Or perhaps He's been calling you back to Himself.  May we all choose Jesus!

Daniel-