Seasons Fleetings

As promised, our topic today will confront the reality of this strange human phenomenon, this kryptonite to our super-ministry, called procrastination. There may not be a more appropriate topic for this time of year, particularly for me. From shopping, to decorating, to card mailings, to planning, to the unfortunate shortcomings in ministry, procrastination reigns supreme in the world of Christian ministry. I'll continue to remind you readers that my experience is limited when it comes to ministry, but my observations over the past few years have forced me to draw some conclusions, however premature they may be.
What was once a silly schoolboy approach to studying and doing homework has become standard operating procedure when it comes to the service of our Lord. This is likely not out of some masochistic desire to inflict pain and stress upon ourselves, but it's existence and the ease at which the p-word can be identified reveals that we must be aware of it and yet do little to suppress this plague.
Proverbs 12:27 says that "diligence is man's precious possession." However, it seems that this precious possession is little more than yesterday's pet rock when you look at the way we value it. Sure, when the camera is on us we break our backs with smiles on our faces, but what happens when we're working on our own, when we face the deadlines, when we have events to plan? How often do we finish our projects or plan our outreaches before the deadline expires?
As they say, hindsight is 20-20 and we continually have the perspective to look back and realize how much better events could go, or how much more effective the message could be if we took to time to give it our best effort, to be diligent, to allow the Lord to work in us and through us, instead of around us and around our shortcomings. All glory goes to God to even begin the work in us, but I'd much rather be a part of the solution at the end than be an obstacle to God getting the honor He deserves. Amen?
So what's the challenge? What's the application to our lives and ministries? In short, repent. I need to repent of this lackadaisical attitude toward serving the true and living God. Serving God can and should never be dependent upon our energy, effort, or endurance. We should never be in the equation, except for being an blank slate, a dormant variable to the ways and means that God chooses to use us. And when He does use us, in His great grace, diligence is our response. Though not in the energy of our flesh, we strive toward that earnest desire to perform the will of God in any and every situation, and then follow through.
May God guide us and direct us in this endeavor and may He be blessed and receive the glory due His name in the process.