Procrastination: The Art of Pretending Tomorrow Doesn’t Exist

By Dr. Eric Scalise
President, Hope for the Heart

 

The Nature of the Beast

Procrastination can feel like the monster in our dreams. But it can also be the equivalent of hitting the spiritual “snooze button.” Many of us are pretty good at procrastinating, especially when our response is on auto pilot.

However, there is a growing body of research that increasingly views procrastination, not so much as poor discipline or bad time management, but more as an issue of emotional regulation and stress management. This is sometimes called “self-handicapping” and can include anxiety, shame, certain fears, self-doubts, and more. It’s a way for someone to protect their sense of identity or ego. That’s why tips and strategies that focus primarily on productivity usually don’t work very well. A relatively benign task can easily turn into an emotional support crisis.

A Quick Assessment

What about you? Is this an area of challenge or needed growth for you? 

For the Baby Boomers out there, you may remember Carly Simon’s classic song from the 1970’s, “Anticipation.” The words to the chorus go like this:

Anticipation, anticipation 

Is makin’ me late
Is keepin’ me waitin’

We could retitle the song, “Procrastination” and keep the same verse. As a believer, have you ever found yourself saying things like:

• “Jesus is coming back soon; I just haven’t started yet.”
• “I asked God for a sign, and He sent me a calendar reminder.”
• “My spiritual gift might behaving12 different tabs open on my computer yet solving none of my problems.”
• “I rebuke procrastination in Jesus’ name… starting Monday.”
• “Yes, yes, delayed obedience is still disobedience, which is why I need a snack.”
• “My biggest cardio workout is running from difficult conversations.”

Let’s be honest. We all struggle with procrastination from time-to-time. I too have found myself musing that the “future me” is one of the most capable believers alive. Yet, we Christians often interpret procrastination as a lack of faith or some type of failure. In truth, procrastination is a symptom, not necessarily the root problem … and it exposes emotional and spiritual issues long before they become a productivity challenge. Let’s take a closer look at three root factors.

Fear

Procrastination often grows in soil where personal identity feels shaky. So, it can easily become an agreement with fear instead of an alignment with truth. People who wrestle with fear of failure often do not complete tasks because they don’t want to be evaluated and “graded” on their performance. We may delay hard conversations because we want to avoid rejection. Fear is more comfortable than delay because delay feels safer than risk, though it may be disguised as caution. 

If my question is, “What if I fail?” Procrastination responds, “Then let’s not start.” Satan doesn’t always have to destroy your calling—just convince you to postpone it. 

We may also delay obedience because we fear surrender. When we say, “I need more time,” it can really mean, “I need more courage.” The opposite of procrastination isn’t perfection—it’s humble and courageous obedience.

Fatigue

When the brain is under constant or undue stress, the message we receive is to avoid difficult tasks in order to conserve emotional energy. This is because a fatigued spirit will choose relief over responsibility almost every time. In that regard, procrastination can be the body’s growing protest against living beyond one’s limits. Our nervous system waves the white flag when the battle feels lost. Sometimes the real issue is energy management, and unfinished tasks can be signs of an overloaded life.

Exhaustion shrinks motivation, clarity, patience, and courage all at once, so there’s a difference between avoiding responsibility and lacking capacity. This means we typically can’t spiritually “discipline” our way out of physical depletion. We may need sleep, the freedom to grieve, emotional healing, or just time to take a long deep breath. 

When Elijah fled to the wilderness after his encounter with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, he didn’t need a sermon first. He needed sleep, food, and rest. Even Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to be alone with His Father and to recharge. Remember, the Sabbath as a day of rest was God’s idea. 

Faith

Fear says, “What if I’m not enough?” But faith says, “God is with you.” Faith does not eliminate fear; it refuses to let fear make the final decision. It’s not passive waiting as much as active trust. Fear wants certainty before action, while faith flips the two. That’s why obedience rarely feels convenient in the moment. I believe God is less interested in my flawless performance than my willingness to act.

Genesis 12 details how Abraham left his home, his familiar surroundings, and his father’s family, and all without a detailed five-point plan. Where procrastination makes an attempt to control outcomes by delaying action, faith accepts the reality that the Lord doesn’t always give clarity when asking for obedience, but it does give the courage to trust Him. Psalm 119:105 says God’s Word is a lamp to our feet … God promises to provide sufficient light for at least the next step.

Grace Over Shame

How then should we approach the issue of procrastination? For starters we can seek to reduce or eliminate its shame-based messaging. Shame says, “You are the problem” instead of, “You have a problem.” It rarely results in lasting transformation. 

That’s because for many procrastinators, tasks are perceived as a referendum on their intelligence and competence, demanding proof of worth or identity. So, the brain and the nervous system treat the task like “danger,” which is not necessarily the avoidance of work, but the avoidance of emotional pain, stress, and turmoil.

Grace interrupts that cycle and lowers the threat level. Instead of shame, grace says things like …

• “Your worth is not hanging on this outcome.” 
• “You don’t have to earn acceptance before taking action.”
• “You can survive failure.”
• “It’s OK if you haven’t finished yet, you are still loved.”

Rather than facing the threat of harsh criticism, people may just need safer places to fail.

In His interactions, Jesus did not lead with shame, but we do see Him lead with compassion, invitation, restoration, belonging, and mercy. The prodigal son was embraced before he was lectured. Peter was restored before being recommissioned. Zacchaeus belonged before he repented and changed. The woman caught in the act of adultery received mercy before correction.

At its core, shame says, “Your value depends on your performance.” Grace says, “Your identity is secure before your performance.” That changes everything. 

God’s grace does not remove responsibility—it removes the unbalanced beliefs attached to responsibility, giving people permission to be unfinished while still moving forward. “For from His fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace” (1 John 1:16).