Do Not Procrastinate
Yesterday we saw in Proverbs 3:27 that we should not withhold good when it is in our power to act, and the next Proverb contains a similar lesson. It says this in v28: “Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.” (Proverbs 3:28 NIV11)
Why would you put off blessing somebody? Why would you only want to give something to them tomorrow when you could do it today?
Balancing Compassion and Discernment
Well, one reason might be to avoid people taking advantage of you. When we began an outreach ministry here at the Church of the Nazarene in Boksburg, we quickly found that it was hard to discern who was truly in need and who was just trying to get a free handout. As I asked around to get advice from different churches, many people advised that we put in an “obstacle” of sorts to help us discern the needy from the chancers. The advice was to only hand out food on a Sunday after a service – because those who are really in need would gladly go along with that, but those who are just looking for handouts would just move on.
So the idea there is not to ‘put off’ a blessing, but to make sure it lands with people who really need it. Remember, Jesus said to be “innocent as doves and shrewd as serpents” (Matthew 10:16) – we must be compassionate, but careful too.
Some commentators say that this Proverb teaches us a lesson on evangelism. People need to hear the good news of salvation, and if we keep putting it off to tomorrow, it never happens. I wonder if you have been putting off telling somebody about Christ. Putting off that conversation where you share your testimony. What if somebody close to you needs to hear about Christ in you today? Are you going to say “come back tomorrow” when you have good news with you today?
Seize the Day
Perhaps this is really a lesson in procrastination. Are you the type of person who procrastinates? Who ends up doing anything except what you should be doing?
God has called us to live productive lives of service in His honour. Oh let’s not say to Him “I’ll come back tomorrow and I’ll give you my service”. TODAY, spend time in prayer. TODAY, spend time in the Bible. TODAY, worship Him. TODAY make that change in your life, or get that help, or make that call, or whatever it is for you.
Don’t put off to tomorrow the good work that might be done today! Because we all know that tomorrow might never come for any one of us.
