Procrastination: Sloppy Habit or Serious Sin?

Procrastination has been called the "thief of time." More than anything else, time is an irreplaceable gift from God. We can make more money. We can make more friends. We can even create new families. We cannot make, or add, more time beyond what God allots to us.

Jesus tells his followers we cannot add any time to our lives by worrying. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus said "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Is there a connection between procrastination and worry?

Why do we put things off, or delay beginning a valuable or important task? Do we fear a negative outcome?  Do we fear we are unable to successfully complete the task?
Do we feel deeply stressed by starting to work on an unfamiliar task? Do we feel unable to face a possible failure?

When you and I think deeply about what's behind the tendency some of us have to procrastinate, we'll probably uncover fear and worry, along with the unhelpful tendency to seek perfectionism. Perfectionism "makes the perfect the enemy of the good."

Procrastination keeps us from God's best and reinforces in our minds the false and damaging habit of running away from what we fear. Procrastination steals opportunity and weakens courage.

Yes, it is serious sin because it is fear based and because it destroys an irreplaceable resource.

Like any other sin, procrastination can be renounced,  repented of, and abandoned.

Begin now. Small steps work. Kill the thief of time and live your fullest life from this moment forward.