Today or Tomorrow?

Are you given to the habit of procrastination? The thing about 'putting off today what you plan to do tomorrow' can actually wreak havoc in one's life. Ben Franklin told us, "You may delay, but time will not." How sad to let time go by when things of importance need to be addressed. I am not just speaking of our 'chores' like vacuuming, dusting, and that oil change. I am also referencing those words that need to be shared, letting go of the grudge that has been held way bast its expiration date, and spending time with a loved one who so desperately craves a bit of your attention. These are the things that cannot be guaranteed to be 'done tomorrow' because none of us are guaranteed that time will not change our circumstances.

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

There is very little we can afford to 'leave till tomorrow' when it comes to our relationships. They are a 'today' kind of thing. As we read on to the end of this chapter in James, we find there is a reminder we all need to heed. "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do, then not do it." (vs. 17) If we know an apology is owed, to hold onto the grudge is sin. If we realize it has been way too long since we spent quality time with someone we hold dear, it is sin to not make the time. If we know we need to share our heart with someone and then hold back, it is sin. Go - do it today - no one is guaranteed the 'right set of circumstances' will exist tomorrow. 

Many ladies who have delivered a baby in the wee hours of the night, labor coming on unexpectedly, will admit to being concerned about 'not shaving their legs' before they went to the hospital. It wasn't that they couldn't have shaved them earlier that day, but they thought they had time. As silly as this may be, it is a real look at how we 'put off' what could have been the easiest thing to do at a much earlier time, only to find it much more difficult or impossible at a later one. We don't hold time in our hands - we are unable to turn back a clock. There are times when we must put aside our pride, take on the task, and just do it. No one wants to find themselves on the opposite side of time, looking back, wishing they had done what needed to be done. Just sayin!