2012: Put up or shut up

At the close of every year, I take some time to reflect on the preceding 12 months of my life with an eye toward making changes in the coming year. This annual ritual of introspection helps me determine my "life theme" for the new year. This year, I have chosen "Put up or shut up" as my life theme because of my tendency to procrastinate. No doubt you've heard this expression before, perhaps, even said it yourself. Put up or shut up is a no nonsense expression, which denotes that some action is needed to resolve the issue at hand. In essence, Put up or shut up means either do what you've been talking about or stop talking about it; either take steps to change a situation or stop complaining about it.  I like the intent behind Put up or shut up because it leaves no room for procrastination.

How many of us have fallen into the trap of procrastination? Procrastination is one of those temptations common to man and woman (1Cor10:13). It first starts as a tendency to put off everyday things like cleaning, paying off debts, making household repairs, exercising, or losing weight. But it doesn't stop there. At work or school, putting off becomes a habit resulting in missed deadlines, failure to complete projects on time and sub par performance. When fully ingrained, procrastination can attack the spiritual dimension causing a putting off or neglect of spiritual things like daily personal devotions, prayer, bible study, witnessing, and in the case of the unbeliever, even salvation (Heb 2:3). Procrastinators buy the lie that there will always be time to do it later ("I'll get back to it at SOME point."). But it never happens or when it does happen, it is often too late.

The Bible warns that procrastination in all forms has deadly consequences in eternity. It refers to procrastinators as "slothful and sluggards." A slothful person is "a loose, undisciplined person"; while a sluggard is just plain "lazy". Consider this illustration based on Eccl 10:18:

"A little slothfulness evolves into much slothfulness. It is habit-forming. When there is much slothfulness, things remain undone and the house itself starts to fall apart, decaying for lack of care while the sloth is out having fun or sleeping. If nobody steps forward to fix things in the moment, the house of the sloth decays. His responsibilities fall on everybody but him."

Like a decaying building, our spiritual house suffers decay when we put off and neglect those spiritual disciplines (i.e. personal devotions, prayer, bible study, witnessing) that are necessary in order to grow and to remain strong in the faith. I hear people say all the time, "I wish I knew the Bible better" or "I wish I could quote it" or "I wish I could pray like so and so" or "I've been thinking about joining a ministry but..." [What's stopping you?] Then there is the unsaved procrastinator who hears the gospel and says, "Sounds like me, but I'm not ready yet. Besides, I've got plenty of time." Sooner or later,  procrastinators run out of time. Someone once said, "Ain't nothing to it but to do it." So if this sounds like you, or is you, don't procrastinate. Confess it. With God's help make the choice to "Put up or shut up in 2012.

Drawing from the well within

I've seen a few dotting the landscape mostly rural communities, but I can't really say that I have ever drank from one---a well, that is. As a city dweller, I'm so used to getting water from a protected, chlorinated supply that is conveniently piped into my home. So glad I don't have to go outside in all kinds of weather to drop a bucket down a hole in the ground. As for which is better--well vs tap-- I've heard that well water tastes better; and may even be better for you. But regardless of where it comes from no one would argue that water is essential to life. Makes me wonder if that's what God had that in mind when he created the seas first and had them cover two-thirds of the earth's surface. And even though he created man from the dust, our bodies are composed of 60 per cent water; some organs, like the brain, are as much as 90 per cent water.

Besides being a necessity for life, water can kill. People have drowned in it. Whole communities like New Orleans, La. and Johnstown, Pa. have been flooded by it. Wars have been fought over it (water rights). The BP oil disaster demonstrated how reckless pollution of our waters can devastate both human and animal species. Our dependence on water for survival is universal for human and animal kind alike. Even if we journey into outer space to explore other life forms, the first thing that astronauts look for is whether there is a sustainable water source on the planet.

Jesus often used water as a metaphor for spiritual things. The Holy Spirit is often referred to as "living water" freely given to those who ask (John 4:10). The Bible speaks of water to illustrate the purifying effect of God's Word in making us holy "by the washing of water through the word (Eph 5:26). By contrast, a church that doesn't preach the Word of God, and a people that won't heed and obey God's Word are a dirty bunch---carnal and undisciplined. Who complains of thirst, and then, when a glass of water is set before him, just stares at it?  In the same way, Jesus offers sinners "living water" but to enjoy its benefits, we must come to the source and drink freely. Are you thirsty?