Planning

1 Corinthians 10:24

"Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor."

When I say planning, I mean the opposite of procrastination. Planning isn’t all that’s involved in opposing procrastination, but it’s a beginning. Our church has been holding a class on biblical counseling. (It’s a great class.) As secretary of our church, I print up all of the syllabi, outlines, and materials. I also usually create the presentation slides.

In order to produce these, however, I need a completed syllabus from the class teacher. Most often, this comes the afternoon of, which makes for a flurry of activity a few hours before the class. This week, however, it came ahead of time. That meant plenty of time to proof everything, make sure everything matched, and time to put the finishing touches on the building’s setup. Sometimes, these fall through the cracks when it comes through at the last minute. It was a nice reprieve.

I’m one of those people who usually procrastinates. My mind seems to kick into “the zone” when under pressure. However, I am feeling a little convicted that my propensity for procrastination often takes a toll on others, just as our teacher’s procrastination can create a crunch on my own time. My choices don’t affect only me. How am I showing God’s love to others in my choices?

I am thankful for planning, for how God used it this week in the teacher’s life to alleviate some pressure on me. I am also thankful God used the contrast with procrastination to show me another way in which His testimony can be shown in my own life. It’s one thing for Him to tell me to portray His love, but I understand it better when He shows me how.

How are your own choices affecting others?