Procrastination and Addiction

Whatever you want with ALL your heart, you will go after with ALL your heart! This statement is a challenging indictment against anyone who says that they want healing, deliverance, ministry, career, or anything with ALL their heart, BUT they do not pursue it with all their heart! Maybe your desire is to lose weight, save money, or finish your education. Have you noticed that whatever the desire or want is, there is an equivalent inner resistance, a FORCE that will try to keep you from accomplishing it? What is it?! What is this ‘thing’, this ‘force’ that seems to come from within YOU, and yet fight against YOU? The bible describes it in Rom 7:15 ‘What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.’(Msg)

I think we can all agree that when we would do the right thing, the wrong thing is so much easier to do. But, the question is, ‘what is it?!’ The two most common manifestations of this force are procrastination and addiction. They are different sides of the same coin. Procrastination causes you to lack compulsion, while addiction is an uncontrolled compulsion. Both will rob you of your purpose and cause an inability to accomplish your desires and life goals. Procrastination is an opportunity killer and a progress assassin. It’s a mindset. It’s like a drug that paralyzes your discipline. You make up your mind to start a discipline, and you do well for a while, but there is nothing to compel you, and almost automatically you come against your own resolve and sabotage your success!

Addictions are the flip side of the same coin. You make up your mind to quit a habit, and do well for a while until you begin to lose the battle within. You hide and cover the evidence while trying to stop with all your might. You experience denial, self-hatred, hopelessness, and embarrassment. You struggle with the secret sin in private pain. Did you know that you are being controlled by a spirit? Paul calls it an ‘evil’. Rom 7:19 ‘For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.’

The question is how do we overcome the carnal works of procrastination and addiction?

The first step in getting free is, You must admit that you have the problem. You can’t change what you won’t confront! Others can see what you think is hidden. Procrastination is often mistaken for laziness or lethargy. But procrastination is a work of the flesh! It’s the practice of putting off important tasks to a later time, such as: taking medication, keeping appointments (or keeping your word in general), exercising, study and any important thing in your life that requires discipline and produces great future results. You may think you’re being lazy but, it’s a spirit! It attacks your WILL!

The problem with procrastination, or addiction, is that your WILL is being paralyzed by the carnal nature. The enemy wants to imprison your will, WHY? Because, you are full of purpose! You have a powerful call on your life, and because he knows that it will keep you in a cycle of defeat. The second step is You must submit. Admit that you have a problem, and submit your will to GOD! Whatever you continually submit to is what will rule you. But you’ve got to give it ALL to GOD! And don’t be afraid of defeat. It’s just a temporary setback! The place of your down fall can be the place of your new beginning. The spiritual attack of addiction and procrastination has to have a spiritual deliverance. ‘It’s not by power, nor by might, but it’s by My Spirit says the Lord!’ You need to focus your will on the one that can change your will. Submit your will to GOD! It’s your will that’s been taken captive by the carnal nature! GOD has to intervene, and He will!