Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. – Proverbs 20:4

Today's Scripture Reading (January 4, 2026): Proverbs 20

It has become the theme of procrastinators everywhere. "Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow." The quote is actually a rephrasing of Benjamin Franklin's instruction to "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." The truth is probably somewhere in between the Franklin quote and the procrastination meme. But it is often a hard line to find. I know that my friends frequently ask, "What has to be done today?" And it is easy, especially early in the week, to reply that there is nothing that has to be done today, but much that should be done today. As I write this post, I am still busy with the pre-Christmas rush. I know this post will not be published until after the New Year, so there is no need for me to write today. And yet, I write ahead so I can spend time with family over Christmas and with my wife during my summer break, without worrying about having to write a post. And so, I may not have to write today, but I should so that I can achieve both of those goals.

I spent twelve years working in a farming community during my late twenties and early thirties. As a result, I became accustomed to seeing farmers out in the spring, often working late into the evening to get the crop planted, and in the fall working to get the crop off. Both jobs were essential and weather-dependent. Often, the farmers worked late not because they had to, but because they knew that they should. If the weather held, they would have time to get the work done. But they also knew that there was no guarantee the weather would remain favorable to the task; they knew that, while the weather held, they should work late even if it was not absolutely required.

The Book of Proverbs reminds us that sluggards don't plow in season. They follow the procrastinator's theme and "never do today what can be put off until tomorrow." But as a result, they also tend to wait too long, and they don't get the job done, at least not in time. So, harvest time comes, and there is nothing ready to be harvested. Sometimes, maybe a late harvest is not the worst thing, but I know in my part of the world, a late harvest usually means no harvest. The weather changes, the cold comes, and the harvest rots in the field, all because it wasn't planted at the moment it should have been.

However, in most of our lives and schedules, there is room between the procrastinator's theme of "never do today what can be put off until tomorrow" and the Franklin quote "never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." Sometimes, things must be done. But often they can be done, and should if we can. But sometimes the wise thing is to leave it until tomorrow, as I will be doing during the coming Christmas break.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 21