Procrastination

MONDAY

“The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied.” – Proverbs 13:4 NRSV

In the Fast and Furious Movie Franchise, the character played by Tyrese often says, “We Hunnnnngry”.

Just as the character had to follow his desire to be fed with work, what are we willing to do to no longer be “Hunnnnnnngry”?

Everybody gets hungry. The Lazy and the Diligent. We all crave to be fed.

Step one is to acknowledge that we are hungry. Then we must do something about it. We must put in work. Stop procrastinating and get to the business.

Now let me be clear. The only prosperity I represent is the reward of Jesus’s love, that eternal salvation, that perfect peace. And I am HUNGRY for it.

What are we willing to do to share that love with others?

When?

What are we waiting for?

Let us stop putting off doing the work, putting off doing what we know we need to do.

We have an appetite.

An appetite for justice. An Appetite for equity. An Appetite for peace. An Appetite for grace. An Appetite for mercy. An Appetite for love.

You are Hungry. Let us become full from our Diligence.

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon

www.faithfirst.me

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TUESDAY

"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” – Proverbs 14:23

Vision Boards. Future Statements. To Do Lists. Resolutions.

We all have made versions.

Woulda. Shoulda. Coulda. Gonna.

And we all have said versions.

"In all toil, there is profit." In all work, there is a gain. Even if the work is not successful, it yields a gain. Why? Because in the doing the work, someone or something gains something.

Have you ever started one thing, and it led to something else? What about working on something, and then a brand new idea pops into your spirit?

"but mere talk leads to poverty." All those posters and plans don’t mean nothing if they are not acted on. They are just new ways of "talk".

How can God use us if we say by our inactions, "not ready yet", yet we claim to be faithful?

You have no idea how your dream, working on your dream can manifest and bless someone or bless the world.

Just as we have to stop evil, the block needs beautiful flowers and trees. People aren’t the only ones who need clean water. Just as the homeless need homes, they need haircuts and their hair done.

Justice. Equity. Equality. Dignity.

What could we achieve if we all demonstrated our Faith and all toiled to make our plans come true?

How many would "profit"?

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon

www.faithfirst.me

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WEDNESDAY

“Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11 NRSV

Two days ago, I had 6 Zoom Meetings back to back. And all had to deal with the evils of injustice and inequity in our society. It was rough.

I admit that I had iTunes playing during one, maybe I switched back and forth to an online game, and of course, I had to check some texts, Facebook, and Instagram. I distracted myself.

All the “self-care” experts would say that I “had to take care of myself, protect myself” from all that trauma. I understand… but…

FYI, there are no accounts of Jesus doing “self-care”. I am not going to say something like, “Jesus sacrificed it all, so we should.” That is easy and lazy theology. Christianity is to be “Christ-LIKE” not “Christ”. No one can be our Lord and Savior.

However, I will ask this… Have we looked in the mirror lately?

We were made in GOD’s IMAGE. So, we are magnificent, beautiful, intelligent, wonderfully made! Then, we had His Son, sacrifice Himself because He loved US that much!

Being made in God’s Image, loved by Jesus, and surrounded at all times by the Holy Spirit means that each of us are “Divinely and Purposely Made".

We got stuff to do. People to care for. A world to change.

To do it, we must prepare ourselves. We must discipline ourselves. Unlike me on the marathon Zooms, we cannot be distracted, we must be disciplined.

We must disciple ourselves, no matter how painful it is to walk away from momentary “feel goods”.

We must discipline ourselves, even when we don’t want to. Even if it is Prime Days, is it worth it?

Peaceful Righteousness… how much does that cost?

Just a little discipline.

Don’t put it off. Get to it.

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon

www.faithfirst.me

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THURSDAY

"proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching." - 2 Timothy 4:2 NRSV

Procrastination. We all know what is. We all know when we are and what we are putting off.

I will admit that some of the things we have to do when we are being responsible and handling the mundane, are not fun. We just don't want to do it.

The word says "be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable...". From doing the mundane to proclaiming the word, all are ministry.

All of our actions have the potential to be teachable moments for others, and ourselves. We never know what we do in our day could serve others.

Handling our business may provide a way for someone else to handle theirs. Doing our mundane may become the example a friend needs to do their mundane.

We are all teachers, and teaching all the time. So let's not put off what we have to do, we just might be the inspiration another needs.

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon

www.faithfirst.me

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FRIDAY

“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5: 15-16

You know, I discovered something while preparing our week about “procrastination”. The word, “procrastination” did not start out that way. Nope, in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word was “unwise”.

Sit with that for a minute… actually, don’t. From now on, I challenge us to stop saying “Why am I procrastinating?”, instead, let us say, “Why am I being unwise?”

That hit different, doesn’t it? I digress.

“Make the most of the time, because the days are evil.” That’s a little harsh, yet, true. We all need to start making the most of every moment we have. Everything.

We should live to the absolute best Jesus Christ wants us to be. In all that we do and say.

Are we doing what we KNOW we need to be doing? Are we saying all that we KNOW needs to be said?

The days are evil. The evil that so many create, allow, supply, are all around, daily.

And we are silent in our actions and words.

What are we waiting for? YOU KNOW! We KNOW!

Most of all, Jesus knows!

Jesus knows what we can be, what we can do… but we are scared or worse, lazy. Jesus did not promise us an easy life, but a life rewarded because we have FAITH!!!

Either we have Faith (the wise), or we don’t (the unwise).

Just sayin…

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon

www.faithfirst.me

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SATURDAY

“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.” – Ephesians 4:26-27

Paul is writing a church community in Ephesus. There were some things going down that this community was dealing with that was causing many to feel anger, mainly persecution by the occupying Roman Empire.

Think of everything that comes with existing as less than a citizen in a land that was yours and militarized violence is the one thing that is used to keep everyone in check.

You got some anger.

What Paul knew that kind of Anger can become all-consuming and all infecting, even transferred. The Anger at the oppression and forced circumstances become internalized anger that the people would transfer to each other, and minor disagreements became monumental civil wars.

But Paul says, “Be Angry”. He acknowledges that they are all living in a world that makes them Angry! But he goes on, “do not sin”. Do not let our anger cause us to sin (to turn away from God). Even further, “do not let the sun go down on our anger”.

Let us not go to sleep angry at one another. Let us not forget about the power of prayer, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the advocate that is Jesus, and the Father that is God. Do not go to bed without re-establishing our relationship with the provider of perfect peace.

If we don’t, Paul says that we “make room for the devil”.

Let us make room for peace. Let us make room for reconciliation. Let us make room for joy. Let us make room for love. Let us make room for Jesus.

Make Room!

Be Blessed, Beloved.

Rev. Damon