He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:59-60

Many of the hours that melt off the clock fall victim to procrastination. “I know I should resolve that issue, but it’ll just have to wait until tomorrow.” “I need to complete that task, but I’ll wait until my TV shows are over.” There are many important things we know we should do, yet we put them off in our effort to buy more time.  No matter how much we try, we will never be able to buy more time. It’s not for sale…especially when it comes to eternal matters. One of the biggest things people procrastinate is their decision to follow Jesus. They tighten their grasp on the things of this world and tell God, “Wait until I’m finished having a good time. Then, I’ll follow you.” 

Jesus knew the dangers of procrastination. He invited a man to follow him, but the man hesitated and procrastinated with an excuse. There will always be a reason not to act. There will always be a reason to put off the decision. But you will never overcome procrastination until the benefit of moving forward is worth more to you than the cost of staying put.  There is no better benefit to pushing back from the table of procrastination than following Jesus. He came from heaven to give us life—not only here on earth but also eternally with him. We are not truly living until we have decided to follow him. Don’t let a life full of procrastination keep you from living the best life ever!

Lord, thank you for coming from heaven to give us life. Search my heart and my life, and get rid of anything that will keep me from following you. Help me to stop procrastinating and start living a life that’s pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.