Meaningful Mondays- Getting Tomorrow Off to a Good Start By Finishing Today

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Have you ever noticed how not finishing the things that you were supposed today always gets tomorrow off to a bad start?  There's nothing worse than being greeted in the morning by a sink full of dirty dishes, piles of laundry on the floor and a kid that's still sticky from last night's dinner.  I don't know about you, but it makes me want to crawl back into bed. 

This doesn't just apply to household chores, it fits into so many different areas of our lives like going to bed angry after a fight with a friend, clinging on to bad or harmful habits or neglecting a good deed that is already long overdue.  Not taking care of those relationship issues, personal problems or other difficult tasks also makes facing tomorrow more of a challenge because today's burdens will still be in tow. 

Here are a few passages that I believe address procrastination/work:

Proverbs 12:11 says, "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."   How much time is wasted on things that are completely trivial while the important things are put on hold until tomorrow?  God is saying here that "chasing fantasies" shows a lack of "judgment" and that we lack the ability to make good choices.

Proverbs 31 tells of the woman of noble character who works from sun up until long after sundown to provide for her family and make a home.  Because of this "her husband has full confidence in her" and "she is clothed with strength and dignity."  "Her children arise and call her blessed."

Her family is provided for as "she does not eat the bread of idleness."   Wow.  How I wish that idleness had no place in my life.  There are so many useless things that get in the way of doing the things I need to do each day.  So much time is wasted. 

Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  Jesus is showing the urgency of dealing with relationship issues right away instead of letting them come between us and God.  Putting off confronting someone about something or forgiving someone lays bricks for a wall that will separate us from God.

The good news is that all of these things can be taken care of in one way or another before tomorrow.  Why let things pile up until you are completely overwhelmed? 

Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Finish today before tomorrow gets here because you don't know what tomorrow holds.

Now, I'm off to do some laundry so I'm not tripping over it in the morning...  ;)