Do you know how entering a neat space makes you feel? Especially if that space is yours, say your kitchen, first thing in the morning. You feel great, able to take on the new day with vigor and boldness. That is why we have the common cautionary note: don’t leave until tomorrow what you can do today. It is a continuation of our series on divine health which commenced at the start of this year. Leaving any task until another day leads to mental issues. You may know some of them, such as feeling overwhelmed, unless you are the type who cleans up after yourself. This is
And we are not talking here of only house-keeping and de-cluttering. Take your job assignments for instance. If you are the type who carries tasks over, you are in trouble. You start by losing sleep, with all its attendant health issues. And your boss may not like your work ethic, with all its health implications in the workplace. People gossip about you and you become the butt of their jokes. That makes you feel bad about yourself, leading to depression and occasionally, suicide. Plus, when you leave until tomorrow what you should do today, you may be on your way out of a job.
The worst scenario is in your finances. If you dilly-dally about paying off your debt, compound interest will lead you to your grave. And it will do so via mental anguish. We could go on and on, but let us see what the bible says about it. Does it have any advice for us on this topic of “leave until tomorrow”? Yes, and we start from the creation account in Genesis.
Postponed Creation
Imagine if God had delayed in creating you and me. He could have said at the end of the fifth day of that first week that he was tired. You know how tired you usually are on Friday evening and how you thank God it is the end of the week. Your say TGIF (Thank God it’s Friday). Mercifully, God is not like us. He went on to the sixth day and that is why we even exist. He did not leave until tomorrow that which he needed to do on any particular day.
Every day had its own allotment of assignments and we also see a divine order in it. You do not have to abide by God’s order of ensuring that light came before plants for example. We are not God. But we do have to do our best not to leave until tomorrow the tasks that belong to today. Consider that the creation of the entire universe was accomplished in one working week and you will see the point. God did not postpone His work and neither should we.
Consequently, when the children of God journeyed to the Promised Land, everything happened one day at a time. Those who tried to transport tomorrow into today had worms in their food. That means that it is not only wrong to leave until tomorrow today’s assignment. It is equally stressful to try and anticipate tomorrow’s problems today. God knew the importance of creating man but He did not rush it into say, the second day. He waited until the opportune time when everything was in place for the comfort of the man.
Don’t Leave Until Tomorrow Today’s Work
We can learn from him that today is the only day we have and refrain from transporting problems across days. Here is how God summarized both evils. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” The only day you have is today. Use it wisely for today’s assignments, not for yesterday’s work or tomorrow’s assignments.
As a follow-up, Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” We can add our own: “Give us this day our daily tasks.” He summarized it all by saying “Sufficient unto the day is its own evil. Determine today not to leave until tomorrow that which you should do today. By the same token, don’t import tomorrow’s problems into today. Either scenario is bad for your health.
Stay tuned.
Maranatha!
