Barév son of the promise! Ohayo Gozaimasu (お早うございます) heiress! May GOD give you discernment of spirits, times and seasons. May he strike your enemies blind and grant you to see the angels who accompany you (2 Kings 6:17-18). May you experience the wonders of his Word (Psalm 119:18). Be the best version of yourself, doing what GOD expects of you.
" To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven " (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV)
" Failure to prepare, is preparing to fail ." _ Mike Murdock
" Now may the LORD direct your hearts into the love of GOD and into the patience of CHRIST. " (2 Thessalonians 3:5, NKJV)
" Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the LORD’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (James 5: 7-8, NIV)
Many people confuse patience with procrastination. The two concepts are different.
We are patient, when we wait with faith, obediently and with wisdom, for something that does not depend on us, over which we have no power or authority.
Being patient means waiting without getting irritated, complaining or angry. In other words, it means waiting with the right attitude, with the right feelings, with inner peace. The friends of patience are self-control, discernment, obedience, listening, perseverance, endurance, faithfulness, constancy, optimism, faith, wisdom, benevolence and reflection.
In the New Testament, the word translated as patience is Makrothumia (Strong's n°3115, Greek), also translated as longanimity, perseverance, gentleness. In Bible dictionaries, Makrothumia is defined as:
Patience, endurance, constancy, perseverance
Indulgence, long-suffering,
Slowness to vengeance, self-control of one who does not hastily retaliate for a fault.
Waiting long enough before expressing anger, in the sense of avoiding the premature use of force (retribution) that results from inappropriate anger (a personal reaction).
Patience is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). Procrastination is the fruit of the flesh. Patience is a mark of love (1 Corinthians 13:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:5). Procrastination is a sign of selfishness. Patience is a sign of wisdom (Proverbs 14:29). Patience is proof of faith (Psalms 18:15, James 5:7-8). Procrastination is proof of unbelief. Patience produces good fruit (example: gratitude). Procrastination leads to trouble (example: regret).
Patience means taking the time to do things right or to do them better. For example, if a project is too big to be accomplished all at once, patience will partner with intelligence to translate it into sub-projects that can be carried out one after the other. If the project seems impossible or very risky, patience will combine with prayer to ask for GOD's advice (discernment) and ability. GOD comes to the aid of those who are patient. He prepares them for the next season. Demons prolong the seasons of those who procrastinate.
Procrastination is taking time to do nothing. To procrastinate is to deliberately delay, without good reason, a planned, necessary and/or important action or decision, despite the negative consequences, certain or potential, that the delay could engender. Friends of procrastination are laziness, pride, disinterest, disobedience, lack of motivation or reward, incomprehension, boredom, frustration, resentment, doubt, ignorance, perfectionism, fear of failure, inferiority complex (impostor syndrome), fear of success, tardiness, overwork, waste of time and resources.
If you don't see the usefulness of a task, if you have to work on a project with unpleasant people or people you don't like, if you feel incapable (discouragement or imposter syndrome), you'll tend to procrastinate. The same applies if what you have to do is stressful or mentally very demanding.
Do you remember the article When praying, let's not multiply empty words? In that article, I wrote that GOD looks at intention before action. If the intention is not good, the action will be rejected. The same applies to patience and procrastination. What is patience for you may be, or appear to be, procrastination for your neighbor. What is patience for you today, may turn out to be procrastination tomorrow, if you are in a new season of your life or disobeying (lack of faith) what GOD is asking you to do. It's very important to understand this.
Otherwise, you could fall into the trap of comparison, pride, or guilt. The enemy is calculating. When the devil fails to make you envy or jealous of what others are doing, he tries to make you feel guilty for not doing as others do, or for not having done as others do. People sometimes tend to project their aspirations and experiences onto others. In the face of them, listen to your inner testimony. Ask GOD to search your heart and speak to you. Don't be a copy without revelation and conviction of what others do, say, and are. Unquestionably, I would rather be behind with GOD than ahead without him.
Let's study a few verses:
❖ It is written that there is a time for everything and that GOD makes everything, good in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).
While patience waits for GOD to do things in His time, procrastination ignores GOD's timing to get up and do what needs to be done. We exercise patience for things that do not depend on us. We procrastinate by refusing to prepare ourselves for the manifestation of GOD's purposes.
To be patient is to wait while doing what GOD asks us to do.
❖ " Woe to the land whose king was a servant a and whose princes feast in the morning. Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time for strength and not for drunkenness." (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17, NIV)
In this verse, maturity is associated with patience, wisdom, character, discernment of times and seasons, contentment, and strength. He who procrastinates and he who hastens are similar. They lack discernment, preparation, and training. As a result, they waste resources and cause the misfortune of the country.
❖ He who is slow to anger is intelligent and calms disputes (Proverbs 14:29, 15:8).
He who is patient will try, as far as possible, to understand all aspects of a problem before judging or drawing conclusions. The procrastinator will do the opposite.
❖ This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." (Isaiah 30:15, NIV)
Salvation is found in repentance. In listening is counsel and strategy. In faith is strength. Contextualizing on the theme of this article, GOD tells us that those who procrastinate, rely on their own strength and not on GOD. Faith comes from hearing the rhema Word of CHRIST (Romans 10:17). But how can we hear if we don't listen?
❖ " The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. " (Proverbs 21:5, NKJV)
Rushing and procrastination have consequences. Procrastination is a sign of carelessness.
❖ " Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the LORD; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. " (Romans 12:9-13, NKJV)
Procrastination is a form of laziness. Those who are patient are fervent in spirit and serve the LORD. They do what GOD asks them to do today. They love without hypocrisy. They do not envy, covet or compare themselves to others. They dislike evil. Their faith is firm, and their prayers are answered. They receive from GOD, beyond their personal needs, to help others.
🙂 Are you patient or procrastinating? I'll stop here. The rest is between you and the HOLY SPIRIT.
** Barév = Good morning in Armenian
** Ohayo Gozaimasu (お早うございます) = Good morning in Japanese