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Colossians 3:23 NLT

'Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.'

Many of us will have experienced the antidote to procrastination known as a deadline. Actually, less of an antidote, more a demand and less of an answer than blind panic sparked by necessity. Consequently, the end result is not as good as it might have been. This is me planning badly to live. This is me simply being driven by the many demands laid upon me in an attempt to survive, surfing each wave of necessity.

There have been times when I’ve attempted to live my Christian life like this. God becomes the source of my deadlines and so my commitment to reading the Bible in a year is my panicked response to an inner angst that I am failing God, and myself. No real interest is served as I book a day’s leave in a fool’s attempt to catch up on two months of daily readings to ‘get back on track’ with my annual reading plan. Procrastination becomes consumed by my guilt.

The Christian life, I’ve discovered, is far simpler than I’d ever imagined. Paul says it here, “Work willingly at whatever you do”. There is no work greater than any other. Godliness is in attitude and in accomplishment. My guilt, shame and regret merely provoke procrastination. I delay living, wishing I might deal with my inner turmoil. God says just get on with living. Living is what God has created me for. So I now live as though everything I do is for the Lord.

I follow a simple routine of prayer each morning. I read the scriptures with Jayne each evening from the Lectionary for the day. I take some time to be still in my day and close it out with time for reflection (when tiredness allows), acknowledging those areas where I feel disappointed in myself and my work. I also thank God for another day lived in grace. I have confidence that I have lived each moment with and for God.

QUESTION: Are you a willing worker in life?

PRAYER: Lord, help me have the right attitude each day to live and work in service of you.