If we had procrastination olympics, I would take gold.
For most of my life, I would tell myself “Patience is my Virtue” or “God’s time best time” as I justified yet another bout of extreme procrastination. I am literally in awe that my life hasn’t fallen apart in utter chaos.
Ironically, on one of those use Youtube to procrastinate sessions, I saw a clip by Apostle Joshua Selman. In 90 seconds it hit me the difference between delay and procrastination.
For the back story, you need to know the story of the pool of Bethseda in John 5.
But basically it went like this:
🩼🚶🏾♂️There was a disabled man, in the midst of a multitude of sick men who were sicker than him.
⏳ He’d been lying right next to the pool for 38 years. Just waiting while doing nothing. Essentially procrastinating.
🔧 Jesus comes and asks him Aren’t you tired of this shit yet? Wouldn’t it be nice to get better?
🤷🏾♂️ He says well Jesus here is my favorite and largest excuse. No one will put me in the water blah blah blah…..
Jesus said 😾
And Jesus said to him “get out of bed and walk”. Literally!
👀 And the man finally took action, he Rose, got off his bed and walked! AND HE WAS HEALED!
Now compare this Man with the widow and Elisha in 2 King 4 -.1-7
The story goes like this:
🙍🏽♀️ A woman , who was the wife of the son of prophets had taken major L’s. Husband is dead. She has two sons. She can’t pay the bills, she has major debt.
😭She runs to Elisha crying. Her sons would have to be slaves to pay those bills.
🏺 Elisha asks her “Do you have anything at all at home? Well you got to have something?”
🤷🏽♀️ “I have a vase with some oil in it” she says.
🏺”Well we can work with that” Elisha says . Go and get as many vases as possible. Do not gather just a few.
💰 She goes and borrows all vases she could find. She pours oil in them, then sells the oil. Kids are saved, bills are paid and your girl is balling again.
This woman in her delay;
She immediately sought help. Got mentored.
Admits the extent of her troubles and the outcomes of it.
Used what she had at home at that moment.
Immediately left her house to enlarge her capacity by borrowing vases. There was no oil in sight yet. She acted on faith.
Did not stop until there was no vase in sight. Maxxed out her potential
🧠 Delay equals to Preparation Time.
🧠 Delay equals to enlarge the capacity time - whatever you have, go and enlarge its capacity- borrow more vases. Build, Learn, Serve Faithfully, Get mentored.
If God says it, it will mean nothing if you don’t take action.
In this Kingdom, you need a bias for action.
To re-iterate “Rise, get the F out of bed and walk”
Cheers!
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John 5 1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, [a]Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [b]paralyzed, [c]waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
2 Kings 4 1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”