Every time I sit down to write something, I come up with a reason why I should be doing something else.
“I needed to reach the next level on Halo 3.” This is by far the worst reason and one for which I offer sincere apologies. Who would have ever guessed that video game makers would design a game so enticing that it actually would keep you hooked for hours on end?
“I was writing other things that were important.” This is the most morally justifiable reason of procrastination. I was working on other things that were just as, or even more, important. I was writing notes for class. I was grading tests. I was designing a website so I could run for president.
“I was suffering from writer’s block.” This one isn’t nearly as good of an excuse due to the fact that the nature of this whole thing is that it is merely what I am thinking at the time so it really doesn’t matter. I can write anything I want. I suffer from this insane pressure, however, to put my best self out there and not do anything half way. This is my own pressure and it creates a tension in me that is only exhausted by playing Halo. See #1.
“My wife bought me a Wii for my birthday.” This excuse is great because it isn’t my fault that I stayed up until three in the morning so that I could bowl a 242. It is my wife’s fault! She bought it for me! She showed me the game and I played it! You can email your complaints to me and I will forward them to my wife.
“It was my daughter’s birthday and I was busy… baking.” OK, this is a blatant lie. I didn’t bake for my daughter’s birthday, but I did have a ball playing with all of the cool things she got as gifts. Play-doh, dolls… were toys ever this cool?
Wow, talk about bad excuses. It sounds to me like the same excuses we make for not pursuing a relationship with Christ.
“I was having too much fun doing something else.” I couldn’t pursue a relationship with Christ because if I did it would mean that I would have to stop my relationship with my boyfriend or girlfriend. It would mean that I would not be able to hang out with the friends I usually hang out with. I know if I put off the relationship with Christ a little longer it won’t matter, but I won’t ever have this chance to (fill in the sin here) again!
“I was doing things that were good and holy and didn’t have time to pray!” I am particularly guilty of this one. I do so much work for the Church and in the realm of leading people to Jesus, that many times I forget my own prayer life. I see my work as just as important as prayer when the truth is that nothing I do is more important than my relationship with God.
“I don’t know how to pursue a relationship with God.” This can take many variations such as “prayer is boring” or “I don’t feel anything when I pray.” Sometimes the greatest act of love is to do something when it is not attractive or when it is not the easiest thing to do. I can pretty much guarantee you that Jesus looks on that type of prayer, especially if you don’t “feel it” at the moment, and smiles thankfully for the sacrifice.
“I was with someone else who didn’t want to (go to church, pray, follow Jesus).” This is straight out of Adam and Eve. Adam turns around and blames Eve for the entire mess just because she gives him and apple. Like I couldn’t say no to the Wii? Gimmie a break. The next time you start making excuses for not praying or not following God because someone else has put something in your life, start taking responsibility!
“I was too busy doing something else.” This can be translated as just a plain, “I don’t want to.” How silly can we be? I think we try to make excuses for everything when we know that we just have to keep plugging away and doing the right thing. At the very least, we need to be honest and say, “I just don’t feel like following God right now because it would take too much time, require too much of a sacrifice. It would mean I would have to do something.”
Maybe we can just pray about the fact that we are procrastinating in our prayer.
Maybe we can bring to God the idea that we want to wait to bring things to Him.
Maybe our procrastination can become the reason we stop procrastinating.
