procrastination is a man-made - fellowship bible...

Procrastination is a man-made defense in response to fear.

• Fear of your inadequacy says this is too difficult, if you put it off it will be easier (Mt. 25:25; Jud. 6:2, 15, 23)

THE MOTIVATOR - FEAR

• Fear of past failure says since you tried before and failed you will only fail again, better not to try today (Mt. 25:21, 24; Phil. 3:13-14).

This is what makes procrastination so dangerous.

We live under the delusion that tomorrow we will be sufficient

for the task. When all the while we were supposed to realize our

inadequacy, trust him, and, by faith, give our best effort today.

IF FEAR MOTIVATES

PROCRASTINATION, THAN

LAZINESS ENABLES IT. IT’S EASY

TO PUT OF UNTIL TOMORROW

WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN

DONE TODAY.

4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Proverbs 6:4-11

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits

lacks sense. Proverbs 12:11

Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but diligence is precious wealth.

Proverbs 12:27

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

Proverbs 13:11

• Make a decision about the decision…

•Prioritize tasks properly…

•Break down the big job…

TO OVERCOME LAZINESS YOU

MUST USE TIME WISELY

• Make a decision about the decision – the

opportune time has a short fuse (Pro. 6:4; Eph. 5:15-17)

•Prioritize tasks properly…




4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

kairós - is not merely as a succession of minutes, which is chrónos, but a period of opportunity (though not necessity). There is really no English equivalent to the word kairós, meaning appropriate or opportune

time.

Dr. Spiros Zodhiates The Complete Word Study Dictionary

.

.



•Prioritize tasks properly - the urgent will often take precedent over the important (Mat. 6:33).




WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS

SELDOM URGENT AND

WHAT IS URGENT IS

SELDOM IMPORTANT.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

2 1

3 4

important

BUT

not urgent

(Mat. 6:33)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

2 1

3 4

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

important BUT not urgent

2

important

AND

urgent

(Lk. 10:30, 33)

important

BUT

not urgent

(Mat. 6:33)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

2 1

3 4

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. . . 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, . . . and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

Luke 10:30, 33

important AND urgent

1

important

AND

urgent

(Lk. 10:30, 33)

important

BUT

not urgent

(Mat. 6:33)

not important

BUT

urgent

(Lk. 10:40-41)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

2 1

3 4

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:40-41

not important BUT urgent

3

Martha also wanted to hear Jesus, but the tyranny of the urgent prevented her from doing this. . . Martha was too easily distracted by less important things. . . There is a need to focus on what is most important, for although serving is good, sitting at Jesus’ feet is best.

R. H. Stein in The New American Commentary

important

AND

urgent

(Lk. 10:30, 33)

important

BUT

not urgent

(Mat. 6:33)

not important

BUT

urgent

(Lk. 10:40-41)

not important

AND

not urgent

(Prov. 12:11)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

2 1

3 4

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Proverbs 12:11

not important AND not urgent

4

important

BUT

not urgent

(Mat. 6:33)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY

Important BUT

not urgent

not important

AND

not urgent

(Prov. 12:11)

IMP

OR

TAN

CE

URGENCY



•Prioritize tasks properly - the urgent will often take precedent over the important (Mat. 6:33).

•Break down the big job - The large project is best divided into smaller, doable ones (Pro. 24:30-31)



30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.

Proverbs 24:30-31

Imagine that you were given $525,600 annually to invest for

eternity. The catch was this: You had to invest $1,440 each day. If you didn’t invest it that day, the

opportunity was gone forever. Over your lifetime you would be

given $36,792,000 to invest.

The truth is that you are given 525,600 minutes annually to

invest for eternity. You have to invest 1,440 minutes each day. If

you don’t invest it that day, the opportunity is gone forever. Over

your lifetime you will be given 36,792,000 minutes to invest.

procrastination is a man-made - fellowship bible...

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