Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24
Pray
Father I opened my eyes this morning and was filled with gratefulness as You have once again blessed me with another day in this human experience. I humbly thank You. A more measurable way of thanking You is in my actions each day; in the work that I do and the effort I put in; in the lives I positively touch, and the lessons I learn to not repeat. Expression of my love does not come from laziness, for no one can be an ambassador in Your Kingdom if they are lazy and shiftless.
So I pray to You today Father that You force out of me my tendency to procrastinate, any flighty behavior, or a preoccupation with irrelevant things and situations. I pray that Jesus keeps me focused on my walk and not on what’s going on around me, or what someone else is or isn’t doing. I pray that the Holy Spirit serves as the technician in my life, making the necessary adjustments so that I am spiritually fit to serve You Father and Your children. These things I pray for in all honesty. Amen.
Reflection
God doesn’t look too kindly on lazy people. Everyone must be active, must be doing something, and must be working…on something. What are you doing each day to get the most out of your human experience here on Earth? What lessons are you learning and what lessons are you sharing and teaching to others? What contributions are you making to this world other than existing?And many would argue that that alone may not be a significant contribution if your presence doesn’t feel like a gift.
I know that a weakness of mine is procrastination, and sometimes I get an adrenaline rush from cramming things in during the eleventh hour. I will even brag about how I accomplished something with only moments to spare. Let me be first to say that that isn’t a noble characteristic. There is greater risk in something going wrong within that window of procrastination than if we simply plan properly, and get the job done when we’re supposed to. I have missed important deadlines and events because I thought I could make something work last minute, just to find out that it was more than what I had bargained for, and too much to cram and complete in the small window of time that I had left.
Procrastination is a form of laziness, and as the scripture says above, “…laziness ends in forced labor”, or better yet, slavery. We become a slave to our circumstances when we are lazy, procrastinate, and put things off. Our decision to not make a decision, to put off doing something that we know is important, almost always has negative consequences and causes a domino effect of drama. By missing one deadline we then cut into work that needs to be done before another deadline. How many times have you found yourself slammed with multiple deadlines overlapping or crammed together because you put off completing an earlier task, assignment, project, or decision?
Oftentimes many of us who are overwhelmed with numerous things to do each day are slaves to ourselves. We didn’t do something two weeks or two months ago and now that thing, plus others we kept ignoring, are staring us in our face along with pressing issues and deadlines that are fast approaching. We created the monster, but cry out in pain as though someone else wronged us. People do the same thing with missed opportunities and not asking the right probing questions. People miss out on benefits, discounts, refunds, and other opportunities due to procrastination and laziness…too lazy to ask who, when, where, what, why and how.
The same is true of people who are too lazy to clean their bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, garages, attics, basements, offices, and cars. A cluttered environment is the sign of a cluttered mind, an unhealthy mind, a mind that cannot focus clearly because there is too much chaos. I can’t live, work, or sleep in clutter. The environments in which I spend my time must have order. As I have been known to say, “you may not be able to control much in the world, but you can control the cleanliness of your home, work area, and car.” If you are living in clutter, then you too are enslaved and must free yourselves from the shackles of laziness.
No person can do this for you. We must stand up and say no more. We must ask God for the strength to not give up; turn to Jesus’ lessons on how to lead our lives; and then through the Holy Spirit ignite our minds and bodies towards movement and action. We may receive assistance from loved ones or professionals who specialize in strengthening our areas of weakness, but it is our efforts that determine whether we continue living life as we have been, or if we rise above the chaos and embrace a life of being on time, doing things on time, working hard, working smart, investing wisely, asking probing questions, and living a clutter-free life.
Are you ready to start living the life God intends for you? Are you ready to be free? Then ask for help and then do your part to start today!
Love your sister in Christ,
Natasha
Copyright 2011. Natasha L. Foreman. Some Rights Reserved. All Prayers and Reflections are Copyright Protected by Natasha L. Foreman. breakingbreadwithnatasha.blogspot.com
breakingbreadwithnatasha.wordpress.com
Breaking Bread With Natasha 