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Have you ever met the Tator family? I have a feeling you may have met some of them before. Monday, we got to know the father in this family, Dick Tator, and yesterday, his wife, Emmy Tator. Today, I’d like you to meet their daughter, Hessie Tator.
Now, I’m quite certain you’d like Hessie all right; she’s a pleasant enough person. But Hessie has a real problem. You see, she just can’t seem to get going on anything. She has lots of plans and ideas, but nothing ever seems to happen as a result of her planning.
I’ve noticed procrastination is one of her biggest obstacles. She just keeps putting things off. Her intentions are terrific, but the follow-through breaks down very often.
Perhaps Hessie needs to remember what Jesus said to his disciples: Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:17). Blessing comes in doing, but Hessie can’t seem to get to the “doing” stage, so she keeps missing the blessing.
Jesus’ life on earth confirms he didn’t procrastinate. When he said he would travel to Jerusalem, he did so, even when he knew the cross awaited him there. What he promised, he fulfilled in every instance. Jesus was a doer, and Hessie Tator needs to allow Christ to live that unhesitating life through her.
I wonder if Hessie Tator has ever considered the parable Jesus told in Luke 6 about the one who hears the truth but does not act accordingly. Jesus said that person is like one who builds a house on the sand, and as soon as the storms come, the house collapses and is ruined because the foundation is not firm. When a person is a hearer but not a doer, they are inviting disaster into their lives and denying the blessings God has in store for them. Remember, the blessing is in doing, not in knowing.
Oh, I think sometimes Hessie Tator puts things off because she’s afraid of failure. You know, whenever you do anything, you do run the risk of failing, but if that fear controls you, you’ll simply never do anything. And besides, no one ever succeeded without many failures along the way. Failure is part of the process.