Have you ever noticed we tend to say “now” and “later” to the wrong things?
We make tons of decisions every day. Part of that decision making process is deciding whether to do something about it “now” or “later.”
“Now” usually means it’s urgent and if I don’t respond serious consequences will occur. As in… “I want this report on my desk by the end of the day.” If you want to keep your job you had better not wait until “later.”
If it falls into the “later” category we feel we have time to deal with it. We can push it to the back burner and deal with it at another time. Death is usually one of those things that we push to “later.” We know we should probably plan for that day. We know we need a will. We know we should be giving serious thought to the afterlife, but honestly this life has too many squeaky wheels demanding attention NOW.
Every decision we make goes through the grid of “now” or “later.” If we can wait till later we will. We have a finite amount of time and energy. Because of our limited time and energy we spend it on everything that feels like a “now.”
Here is what I want you to consider…
What if we are saying “now” and “later” to the wrong things?
What if the things we are saying “later” to are the things we really should be saying “now” to?
For example…
I’ll pay this off “later.”
I’ll eat better “later.”
I’ll exercise “later.”
I’ll read a book “later.”
I’ll go to church “later”.
I’ll pray “later.”
I’ll volunteer “later.”
I’ll work on my marriage “later.”
I’ll spend time with my kids “later.”
I’ll plan for retirement “later.”
I’ll call my kids/parents “later.”
OR
I’ll have dessert “now.”
I’ll charge it “now.”
I’ll binge on Netflix “now.”
I’ll check Facebook “now.”
I’ll plan my vacation “now.”
I’ll create a new board on Pinterest “now.”
The things that are the most important to us require us to purposely say “now.”
But the most important things rarely squeak for our attention. Since they don’t appear urgent it’s easier for us to say “later” to the wrong things.
When important things can wait no longer they don’t squeak…they break… and sometimes permanently.
Your marriage, your health, your relationship with your children rarely demand your attention. But when they do it’s because something has broken. You’ve said “later” for too long. Now you’re not looking at a date night or some time on the elliptical. You’re looking at divorce, a heart attack, or maybe the unexpected or untimely death of a loved one. Now or Later will seem irrelevant. The choice has been made by the cumulative effect of your “laters.”
The challenge is that the most important “nows” have to be made over and over again. They never get removed from our to-do lists. “Later” tricks us into thinking we made a one-time decision and can check it off the list.
If someone you love is demanding your attention you had better drop everything and make it happen “now.”
Our greatest regrets will come from “laters” that should have been “nows.”
The most important “nows” aren’t the loudest.
I understand that we all have lots of “nows” we have to address because we like living indoors and eating. But what I want to encourage you to think about is…If not “now” when?
When is your next date night?
When is your next family fun day?
When will you read a bedtime story?
When will you call your son?
When will you go to the gym?
When will you go to church?
When will you decide about who Jesus really was?
When???
Now or later.
