Putting Off ≠ Patience

Do you have the spiritual gift of procrastination? I have an unpleasant truth for you. It’s not a spiritual gift. If you’ve got it, if you do it, it came from somewhere else other than the Holy Spirit. I’ll leave you to consider what are the other options.

And yet, I think we, all of us, every reader, have been guilty of “putting off” at one time or another. I wonder if we have ever tried to “sanctify” it by calling it, not procrastination, but patience.

The author from whom I have re-worked some thoughts through this series on “this≠that” puts it this way.

1) we chronically underestimate the time it takes to get anything done; 

2) we believe that time is open-ended and sufficiently spacious for us to (meet) all of our ( ) goals eventually 

(M.Goldsmith, Triggers, p.19).

If #1 is true, then we must argue for prioritizing those tasks and pursuits that are most important. Some pit that which is “urgent” against that which is “important.” I think here a better contrast would be for putting first that which is serious over that which is silly. Again, I think you can figure out, if you are serious, which is which.

If #2 is true, then we need to read our Bibles. Our lives are but a vapor (James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away). Our flesh is like a fading flower (1Peter 1:24 For, all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off). We do not have all the time in the world. (Psa. 31:15 My times are in Your hand). My guess is that most people living today will not find that they have more than enough time, but rather, not nearly enough, to do all of the things that they want. Further, my sober guess is that the list of things that won’t get done will not only include many silly things that they had wanted to do, but many serious things as well, serious things that they may never have even thought about.

What should we consider as serious? Things eternal. One’s right relationship with God. The state and security of one’s soul. Oh, we can put these things off. But we dare not call it patience.