Not today...maybe tomorrow

I will, but just not right now.

Oh no! My tooth was becoming increasingly painful, but I dreaded going to the dentist. So, I kept postponing the appointment. I delayed it until I realized I had no other option. However, by that time, the dentist had no choice either. My tooth had to be extracted.

This experience was much worse than simply having it filled, but I waited too long.

This illustrates procrastination and its potential consequences. I can easily put off my ironing, mending, or writing a letter. These tasks need to be done, just not today. Remember that old saying, 'Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow?' Although procrastination may seem harmless at the time, it can lead to undesirable outcomes.

In Luke 14:16-20, Jesus tells His disciples about a man who prepared a great feast and sent his servant out to invite the guests. You would think those invited to such a special occasion would not hesitate to accept the invitation. However, that is not what happened. Instead, the guests began to make excuses for why they could not come, at least not at that moment. The excuses they made were invalid and unreasonable, but they kept them from the blessings that had been prepared for them.

We might postpone obeying what the Lord is calling us to do. He may ask us to join the choir, read our Bible regularly, donate to missions, visit that sick friend, or send a text or card to a family member. The list is endless, as are our excuses for procrastination. It’s not the right time. My schedule is too packed. It’s not convenient right now, but maybe tomorrow. I can’t afford it this month, maybe next month. The list of our excuses continues indefinitely.

There can be significant consequences to postponing tasks. We may miss opportunities to share Jesus with others or to encourage those who are struggling. I remember sending an encouraging verse to a missionary friend, only to learn later that the verse arrived just when she was having a very difficult day.

Years ago, we received a letter from a man whom my husband had witnessed to while on a plane. The man wrote to let my husband know that although he did not accept Christ as his Savior on that day, he did a short time later. He was a soldier being deployed and thanked my husband for sharing the message of salvation in Christ with him.

We might miss out on blessings. Last year, some members of our church contributed funds for a special ladies' conference in Greece. The Lord greatly blessed the conference, and their donations helped needy women attend. When two of these women accepted Christ, the people in our church were overjoyed and blessed.

Once again, the old saying about not doing today what we can put off until tomorrow raises a significant question: what if we have no tomorrow? What if we don’t get another chance to be obedient to our Lord? What if the person we were meant to witness to or encourage doesn’t have a tomorrow? “For all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these…it might have been…” (Unknown)

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Therefore, it is crucial for us to respond now to both the things we know we should do and the additional things the Lord places on our hearts. Don’t miss the opportunity to be an encourager in a world that desperately needs someone who cares.

 I encourage you to express your love and gratitude to those dear to you. Write that card or text to the person God places on your heart, and above all, show your love for your Lord by being obedient to Him today.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14 KJV).