Do It Now



Romans 13:11-14
11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

After speaking to us about the all-sufficiency of Christ to save both Jew and Gentile, the importance of loving one another no matter what, our obligation to live under the authority of government, and the debt of love we owe all people, Paul presses in with a real sense of urgency about all of it. Choose now to pay attention to all of these things as the time is short. Procrastination about spiritual subjects is a bad idea.

I don’t consider myself a procrastinator. Having things done in a timely manner really takes the stress out of life. But I know a great many people for whom procrastination is a part of everyday life. Paul addresses our propensity to let spiritual things wait until another day as well. But Paul’s belief is that time is short. He lived every day like Jesus was going to return in the next few moments. My mother used to ask me if Jesus were to return in that moment would I want Him to arrive while I was doing . . . (whatever unattractive thing I might have been doing). Well, of course not. Paul basically says the same thing. Don’t wait until tomorrow to live with spiritual integrity. If you believe in Jesus and are a part of His Kingdom your everyday walking around life should display that.

The most telling verse for me in this passage is, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Making no provision for the flesh is an interesting concept. It would be like me and ice cream. I really enjoy those very high calorie pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream which appear to come in a single serving size. When I stop at the store and pick one up, I’m “making provisions for the flesh”. Where those battles are won is in not buying the ice cream at all. And honestly, sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.

We can set ourselves up for more success than failure though if we live thoughtfully. When I make choices that bring spiritual clarity and enhancement to my life, I am sowing to the spirit. When I stop and buy ice cream, I’m sowing to the flesh. You can spread the analogy to whatever poison you want; inappropriate movies or TV, magazines, reading material, and even relationships. Paul encourages us to make the choice for spiritual growth rather than fleshly pleasure and to do so today.

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