Procrastination – Lessons From A Sweater

A couple of years ago I bought two 100% Irish wool sweaters, a red and a grey. At some point, I washed them and to my dismay, the red one shrunk to half its size. My disappointment led me to Google to find solutions to restore my sweater. Friends also offered advice that I did not use. Instead, I placed the sweater in my suitcase and forgot it. However, I would remember my sweater in winter and miss its warmth. Although it was an expensive sweater, I lacked the desire to fix it. What caused this reaction? It happens when our minds are so busy that we do not recognize the people and things of value in our lives. Yesterday, I remembered the sweater and retrieved it from the suitcase, determined to restore it.

 First, I immersed it in cold water, then applied a gentle hand wash soap to the sweater. As I pushed it around in the water, I gasped at the transformation right before my eyes. I left it to soak up the water for a while, then rinsed and laid it flat to dry. It brought a feeling of delight and satisfaction to my heart. Had I taken the time and acted on the advice, I could have been wearing my sweater sooner.

This brought me to the spiritual application of this. How many times have we suffered unnecessarily because we failed to act on the advice we received? Often we had resources available but lack the motivation to pursue the things that will improve our lives and empower us. Why do we lack the passion to pursue our dreams? Procrastination! It robs us of the opportunity to do those things that will bring joy and contentment to our lives. To overcome procrastination, we must become intentional about everything we do. Planning daily activities, setting minor tasks and completing them builds resilience and lessens the desire to remain inactive. Treat each day as a workday as it prepares your mind for the tasks on your list. Work on them one at a time and be determined to finish. It reduces stress and creates balance in our minds. When have control of our minds, we become more productive, and experience pleasure and satisfaction, which boosts our morale extremely.

We also procrastinate with the things of God. We have the Bible God’s word that is filled with so many miracles and promises, yet we continue to experience failure and lack because we refuse to believe and exercise our faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) We build our faith as we read the word of God aloud and study daily. As we spend more time with God, our confidence will grow. When we are confident and adept, it will inspire us to do more. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! (Philippians 4:7 & 13) God wants to empower us with the wisdom we need to think, plan, act, and have the peace that surpasses understanding.  (2 Timothy 1:7)