Later, Dude

Acts 24.22-27 - Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. ☗ "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case."☗ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." ☗ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.☗

Good Day~

I was a little girl when I memorized a verse that I often recall--all King James Version back then-- "Study to show thyself approved unto man, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2.15 I pray that I will 'divide' God's Word rightly, as I study, pray and write on it for our understanding and application. But today, I want us to notice the responsibility of the hearer of the Word of God. . . in this case, Felix. Notice with me, that in the passage above, the bell symbol indicates four times when Felix had heard the truth of the gospel--the truth of the Savior--and four times, he procrastinated. . . he put off any sort of decision.
Procrastination is a behavior which is characterized by the deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Wikipedia Why did Felix procrastinate about any decision of putting his faith in Jesus? Who knows? He probably just didn't want to bow his haughty, immoral knee to a righteous God. We have all known people who have deferred sincere consideration of a loving God and where they will spend eternity. . . thinking they were in control of how things would roll out in their lives. . . and then sometimes, life happens, or death happens, and there is a realization they weren't in control at all! Like--I'm pretty sure Michael Jackson thought he had a lot of time to get right with God. . . like a local businesswoman in my town this past week, who had every right to think she would live many years beyond the 45 she totaled--unfortunately, she went to bed drunk, drown on her own vomit, and died. I'm sorry for the graphic nature of that, but I decided to write it like it was because life is graphic, (a vivid picture with explicit detail); but life is not meant to be viewed through a soft-focus lens.

I found this poem on procrastination - He was going to be all that a mortal should be. . . tomorrow. No one would be better than he. . . tomorrow. Each morning he stacked up the letters he would write. . . tomorrow. It was too bad indeed he was too busy to see his friend, but he promised to do it. . . tomorrow. The greatest of workers this man would have been. . . tomorrow. The world would have known him had he ever seen. . . tomorrow. But the fact is he died and faded from view, and all that was left when living was through Was a mountain of things he intended to do. . . tomorrow. R. Kent Hughes. I often procrastinate. . . sometimes it is when I am paralyzed with indecision about what to do with this or that widget or paper, so I put it in a pile. I get an e-mail I want to respond to in full, and having not the time, I put it off, and of course, then often do not come back to it. Sometimes, it is a perfectionistic tendency within--if I can't do it to the level of my own expectations, I leave it to do 'well' at a later time. But, then there is procrastination about the major matters of life that can be quite costly. . . There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire just might be procrastination. Procrastinators sabotage themselves. ('sound like Felix?) They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their performance. (from an article I found in Psychology Today. It is a short, but insightful piece). . . http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/24800

Felix' procrastination was quite costly to Paul; he left Paul in prison for two years. But what the world, or 'the ol' devil' as my mom used to call him, meant for ill, the Lord turned to good. It appears that it was during this prison stay that he wrote letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. . . In the fourth chapter of Philippians, the apostle says, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. v. 11-13 Underlinings are mine, but can you and I say what Paul said?

Felix' procrastination caused Paul to have to wait on God. . . and not grow weary or doubt God. "So often we mistake God, and interpret his delays as denials. What a chapter might be written of God's delays. It is the mystery of the art of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable. What searchings of heart, what analyzings of motives, what testings of the Word of God, what upliftings of the soul, 'searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of God signified.' All these are associated with these weary days of waiting which are, nevertheless, big with spiritual destiny. But such delays are not God's final answer to the soul that trusts him." Dr. F. B. Meyer

Don't say 'later' to the promptings of God~ Christine