There's No Time Like The Present

I’m sure the core thought of the title to this writing may not interest or even gel with procrastinators, per say.  Whether a person makes the most of 24 hours in a present-day scenario depends on the attitude, nature, and disposition of that person’s mindset.

The older I get; I find myself procrastinating a little more than usual.  It is out of the norm for me, and I realize when I toss around whether I want to do this or that, I am reminded that I’m not as young as I used to be and it takes a little longer to get things done.

People have their reasons for putting off things, and perhaps it’s just their nature and personality.  Watching them and their actions or lack thereof, speak louder than words.  I can see by their emotions and playbook of habits that their motto for living may be, “Live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.”  I can only speculate.

Things today are not like they were when my dad was younger and raising a family.  Real Greenbacks exchanged hands rather than credit cards.  It is understandable and quite common for people to be tempted to buy things, now, instead of waiting for a time they can afford them.

Banks make it easy to buy and pay later at an extra cost.  It’s called interest payments.  Society is prone to spend what money they have and then use plastic money as if there were a money tree growing in their backyard to ‘Pick and Pay’ from.

I cannot entirely agree with this course of action when buying on credit.  A person’s thinking and philosophy for going in debt is not for me, because I’m an old-school thinker, with old-school ideas.  That’s just me.

I believe in sacrificial saving, which means I make decisions in the present to lay instore whatever money I can for probable obstacles in the future.  My dad called it, “Making hay while the sun shines.”

An untouched savings account is a way to avoid stress when an unexpected problem knocks on the front door and money is needed to remedy the situation.  It’s most important to anticipate future challenges and do something about them and not procrastinate.  There’s no time like the present to begin this regiment of self-control saving.  People that do so will be happy that they did later.  

The fable about “The Three Little Pigs” is an example of good planning vs. bad preparations.

God wants us to be wise when making financial decisions and not fall off the cliff of unnecessary spending or become trapped in high interest payments, because of indebtedness.  It’s not in the nature of some people to wait a while to buy something until good financial planning makes it possible to purchase a little later.  It makes good sense to wait.  Money problems we can do without.

I believe that God expects us to be good stewards of our money, and at the same time not forgetting Him regarding the finances it takes to spread the Good News that God forgives sin through His Son, Jesus.  It’s called tithing, which is a tenth of one’s earnings set aside for God’s work in the church.  Allow me to continue.

It takes money to keep foodbanks stocked with food, local food kitchens to provide meals for the hungry, Christian outreach programs to canvas neighborhoods for the cause of Christ, and as the Bible says in (Mark 16:15), “And He said to them ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ ”  It all takes money.

I’m sure people have their own ideas and slant on this controversial subject of tithing.  Whether tithing has become a way of life or not, it is entirely between an individual and God as to what they do.  I’m just expressing my point of view of giving.  We must work out our own salvation.

(Philippians 2:12-13), “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (vs 13) “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

As for me, I have tithed on my income since becoming a Christian.  A close parallel to tithing is the giving of offerings of goodwill to others.  As the Holy Spirit moves upon my wife and me to give to a special program to help the needy, or help an organization doing God’s work, we feel blessed that God uses us to be His hands outstretched to those less fortunate as He supplies the means to do so.

My wife and I try not to close our heart of compassion.  With God at the helm and the head of our household, we, together with God are a super-special team.  As we are obedient to God, His will is being done in our lives and others.

I am thankful that the returns on our investments are lost souls becoming Christians; having a born-again experience, because of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  The knowledge that we are helping those in need is worth it all.  Sacrificial giving goes hand in hand with the following Bible scripture.

(Romans 12:1), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” 

My intension here is to shed some light on the positive aspects of giving.  By doing this, my wife and I have found that we can do more with 90% of our money than we can with the full 100%.  It just works this way.  God’s promise in (Luke 6:38) is true and His numerous blessings that flood our bosom are amazing.  We walk in the joy of the Lord.

(Luke 6:38), “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Does tithing sometimes involve sacrifices when giving?  It does, but these are the times that God speaks peace to our heart through Bible scriptures.  We are encouraged with words like: “Trust me!” and “Step out in faith!”   When we do what God asks, the needs are always met, and we are again blessed beyond measure. 

What greater investment is there than giving to God’s programs and being blessed as we walk in His perfect plan for us and others?  If you feel that God is speaking to your heart to do something nice for someone, there’s no time like the present to do so.  Trust God, step out in faith, and see what happens.

The Children of Israel learned to trust God in the desert after being set free from captivity in Egypt.  Their exodus from Pharaoh’s bondage was indeed miraculous.  When Moses obeyed God, things happened.  The same holds true when we obey God; things happen.  Even if a person feels like they are trekking through the desert-of-faith, the result of their obedience is always positive for those less fortunate.

If you are seeking God’s direction or need answers to unanswered questions, give it all to God, because He cares about everything concerning you.  If you are feeling unstable and need a firm foundation to stand on, I give you Jesus.  There’s no time like the present to turn your life over to Him. 

Ask God to forgive your sins.  He will change your total outlook on living, because He gives life and life more abundantly when the bondage of sin has been broken.

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Written by,

Papa Boyd