Progress or
Procrastination?
by Lisa
Allen
"If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything
done!" Ecclesiastes 11:4 (LB)
Unhealthy habits had crept their way into my life. At
first it was only occasionally, but then it became easier to stay home
rather
than head to the gym. I turned a blind eye to how much sugar I was eating.
And
dinner from a drive-through became more convenient when I was in a
rush.
After a few months in this downward spiral, I knew it
was
time to reintroduce healthy habits. But then the excuses started: I know
I
should work out, but this just isn't a good time for me ... I have two trips
coming up and then there's that birthday dinner for my friend this weekend.
And
everyone knows that Mondays are the best day to start a good
habit!
This pattern of thinking gives me permission to eat
unhealthy foods and put off exercise. Somehow I justify that I will
ultimately
be more successful if all the conditions are perfect for me to improve my
health. Perhaps it's my selfish nature that screams, "I want what I want
when I
want it." The truth is, if I know I should take steps toward healthier
choices,
then my response should simply be to ask myself, "What can I do today?" and
then
do it. I don't have to have a plan for a month or even a week ... only
today.
As I've observed this pattern of procrastination
within
myself, I find when faced with a desire and necessity to make a change for
the
better, sometimes I wait until I can do it perfectly before I'm willing to
begin. Scripture tells us though "If you wait for perfect conditions,
you'll
never get anything done!" (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
I don't know about you, but I struggle with feeling
that
perfection is unreachable, so I push my goals to the back
burner.
We wait to start consistent quiet times until we feel
like
getting up earlier. We wait to clean our house until there is a convenient
weekend. We wait to join a small group until our schedules open up. We wait
to
begin a healthier lifestyle until the holidays are over.
Taking that first step is the hardest and yet most
important step. Even a baby step toward a goal is better than staying in
place.
Aiming for progress rather than perfection can be quite freeing. So, I can't
run
a marathon. But I can lace up my sneakers and go for a walk. And while my
home
isn't in spotless, I can wipe down the counters and put away the piles of
laundry around my living room. Yes, there are still dishes in the sink, but
I
have to start somewhere, right?
God is teaching me that I can make progress in the
midst
of less-than-perfect circumstances. While I still want to do things with
excellence, a friend once told me I need to be willing to "take a B instead
of
an A+" on some things in life, and that helps bring perspective when excuses
start to rise up. Plus, I'm learning to overcome my tendency for excuses by
telling myself imperfect action is better than perfect
procrastination.
There may never be a perfect time to get organized,
eat
less sugar, and workout more. However, we have to begin somewhere. The
perfect
place to start is where we are today.
Father, You know me so well, and I confess to You I've been
avoiding obedience by waiting for things to be easier, better and more
convenient. I recognize this as disobedience and ask You to forgive me. Give
me
the strength to focus today on this area of obedience. Let me know that You
are
providing all I need to take this step today and tomorrow, as I continue
this
journey with You. Amen.
In The News:
Christian Fined for Refusing to Photograph Same-Sex Wedding
Monday, July 22, 2013
Elaine Huguenin was asked to photograph a same-sex ceremony in New Mexico. She refused, citing her Christian beliefs. She was fined $7,000 by the state Human Rights Commission, which claimed that she was guilty of discrimination for sexual orientation. The New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld the verdict.
In similar news, T-shirt maker Hands On Originals was asked by the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization of Lexington, Kentucky to print shirts for their group. They politely declined, and gave the group referrals to other T-shirt printers and sought quotes for them. However, they were sued by the group and were found in violation of the city's fairness ordinance.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics is warning its members against "heterosexism," defined as "the social expectation that heterosexuality is the expected norm." Doctors are encouraged to post a "rainbow" decal on an office door or bulletin board, and display brochures with pictures of "both same- and opposite-gender couples." They are not to ask a boy about his girlfriend, but to ask about his "partner" instead.
Do you feel like you're swimming more against the cultural current with every passing day? How can we make a positive difference for the Kingdom? I just finished Donald Keough's brilliant The Ten Commandments for Business Failure. Keough, the former president of the Coca-Cola Company, tells executives what to do if they want to fail. His "commandments" apply just as fully to Christians who seek to change their culture.
Here's his list:
- Quit taking risks
- Be inflexible
- Isolate yourself
- Assume infallibility
- Play the game close to the foul line (He's talking about moral integrity.)
- Don't take time to think
- Put all your faith in experts and outside consultants
- Love your bureaucracy
- Send mixed messages
- Be afraid of the future
Here's how I would rephrase his commandments for Christians who don't want to change their culture:
- Stop trusting God
- Refuse to try new approaches
- Withdraw from the non-Christian world
- Trust in yourself more than in God
- Ignore personal character
- Don't take time to pray and reflect
- Put your faith in people rather than the Lord
- Trust the church rather than the Spirit
- Lose your focus on the gospel
- Be afraid of change
- Lose your passion for Jesus
Keough closes with this wonderful statement from St. Augustine: "Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage. Anger that things are the way they are. Courage to make them the way they ought to be." Are both alive in you?
