Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a procrastinate as, blameworthy delay, especially through laziness or apathy. Dawdling, loitering, dallying…

The list goes on and on, but they all mean the same thing. They describe someone who delays finishing a task, putting it off until later. 

One memorable act of dodging from my past revolves around a new cordless drill that I dropped while doing some home remodeling. 

A little bump and a concrete floor equaled a sickening crack. 

Right there before my eyes lay my new drill in two pieces. 

Normally when the battery pack was taken off it did resemble two pieces, but now the separation point was in a new place! 

I was disappointed to be sure, but I wasn’t finished for the day. 

I simply turned to one of man’s best friends, and I’m not talking about a dog. I’m talking about DUCT TAPE! 

A few minutes later, I was back in business. 

In short order however, I found myself unprepared for the next job as the repair didn’t hold and I had to lose time and money on a last-minute trip to Lowes. 

When it comes to issues of the soul, however, the Bible says a thing or two about the art of dodging. 

Jesus talks about a man who hears His words and does not act on what he hears. Jesus even goes as far as to call this man foolish. 

Listen to the Lord’s words, “And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” 

Does that happen today? Well, I’m led to believe it does. People hear the word of God yet decide to put off acting on what they know to do. 

Jesus, in telling the story of a wedding talks about how we can put off getting ready for His return but warns everyone not to put off preparing. 

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” 

There is one other scripture that I want to share on this subject, and it is found in the Old Testament book of First Kings when the prophet Elijah called the nation of Israel together to prove to them who their God truly was,

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” 

It was sad that he had to ask the question in the first place, but even sadder that they had no response. 

What would your response be? Or would you simply put off making up your mind? 

Putting off fixing a cordless drill is one thing that duct tape can fix, but putting off a decision that could have eternal consequences is quite another. 

The art of dodging the issue of eternal things could prove deadly. 

In Saint Louis, in 1984, an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. 

Since there were only a few and she made no effort to deal with them. 

Over the summer, the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees. 

The whole attic became a hive and the ceiling of the second-floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees. 

While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect. 

Please, don’t put off another day a decision that can affect where you will spend eternity. 

Trust me, you won’t dodge that!

Tim Throckmorton is the national director of Family Resource Council’s Community Impact Teams.