Is Procrastinating a Sin? 

What Is Procrastinating?

Procrastinating is the act of intentionally and habitually(or repeatedly) delaying an action.

Is Procrastinating a Sin?

Anger & Procrastination:

The Bible is Fairly Anti-Procrastination. In the Gospel of Matthew it notes one should not keep a brother in anger: "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering," (Matthew 20:23-24 NASB1995). Jesus tells us that if a fellow brother is angry, we should stop what we are doing and try to reconcile before we continue for: "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger," (Ephesians 4:26 NASB1995). When one is angry or when we are angry, it is better to stop and fix the problem than to continue in anger for when one is angry, they are more tempted to sin(James 1:20).

Not Doing What Is Right:

The Bible too condemns the one who delays helping another: "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin," (James 4:13-17 NASB1995).

Laziness:

At times, procrastination can come out of sloth which the Bible to condemns: "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies," (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 NASB1995).

Some Proverbs to Consider:

"The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack hand will be put to forced labor," (Proverbs 12:24 NASB1995).

"The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat," (Proverbs 13:4 NASB1995).

Works Cited:

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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.