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The easiest way to become a “Slacker” is by starting to put things off. So why not get things done?!

I’ve always been one who wanted to put things off until the very last minute. Wait until the final deadline. Say I’ll start “tomorrow”…

But “tomorrow” would lead into the next day, and then the next day, and the next… and before I knew it, I was living the lifestyle of a Slacker.

After having a very hard conversation with one of my advisors during my freshman year of college, I realized then that I had to “Smack the Slack” out of the my life.

God had called me to serve Him in ministry and this was a call I had to take SERIOUSLY.

I still remember walking out of his office that day realizing that my procrastination was only delaying God’s blessing on my life. I made a decision THAT DAY I would never put anything off to tomorrow that I could already achieve today! And the benefits have paid off tremendously!!

Of course the temptation for me has always been to fall back into this lifestyle of laziness because let’s be honest, most of us would rather get the most done with the smallest amount of effort possible – right?

But Jesus has called us to live for TODAY because tomorrow will have enough trouble of its own. (Also notice Jesus tells us not to worry. He NEVER says not to WORK!!) 

So, why not get it done! Make the call. Be aggressive. And actually ENJOY tomorrow because what needed to be done then is already done today. Tomorrow we are FREE… free to tackle the next goal God has laid out for us!! 

Now, what is it you’ve been putting off until “tomorrow” but Jesus is challenging you to do TODAY?

Why not be obedient! OVER-Achieve. Give Him your ALL and be AMAZED at what He will do when we put Him first in EVERYTHING we do! Even the “meaningless” tasks of today…

I’m currently reading through Proverbs right now, looking to gain wisdom and insight for my everyday life. I came across this proverb the other morning and it hit me right between the eyes…

“One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.”       Proverbs 18:9

There are several things I want Jesus to say about me one day, but DESTROYING the work He called me to is NOT one I want on the list!!

Yet unfortunately it is all too easy to give into my fleshly desires of wanting to take it easy; give myself a break; put things off; push things back; just be lazy or to be as blunt as the Bible - Become a SLACKER.  

Jesus has given us a prime opportunity to serve His Kingdom and far be it from me to destroy the work He has called us to. The stakes are too high. The consequences are too great. The time is too short. And Hell is too real. 

So the rest of this week, we’ll be exploring some ways we can overcome our natural tendency to want to SLACK OFF in order that we might experience the greatness God has in store for each of us!!

I’m not sure about you, but it is actually much harder for me to narrow down my disappointments than my accomplishments because I am always looking to grow and mature into the person God is wanting me to be.

But nevertheless, I’m learning that failure can become one of God’s greatest gifts.

So in order that we can all grow together, here it is… 

“Top 5 at 25 – Disappointments“

5. Poor Time Management. Taking advantage of a productive schedule has always kicked my butt. If something can wait until tomorrow, it usually doesn’t get done until they day after that.  

Thankfully, God has convicted me of this sinful attitude during the last few years and I actually see myself making some much needed progress in this area.

4. Budgeting for the future. Unfortunately, if I have it… I spend it!! Which makes planning for the future incredibly hard to do.

Again, thankfully God has blessed me with Teresa and I’ve allowed her to COMPLETELY take over my spending habits. Now I don’t spend a penny without her first knowing about it!! Praise Jesus for people who will hold you accountable.

Also another reason I went after our Executive Pastor, Caleb Williams, when we started Revive Church. The dude is a pitbull when it comes to money and I LOVE that about him… most of the time.   J/K

3. Investing in people. All too often I’ve spent time on myself and not the others around me. I never realized how selfish of a person I really am until I got married (and even until we had Kellon). Now I can’t help but be reminded on a daily basis that I must serve rather than be served. 

2. Capitalizing on Opportunities. Sadly I missed out on so many things God has in store for me simply because I was afraid to take a risk. Jesus has convicted me harshly in this area of my life and it is my desire to never again miss what He has in store just because I’d rather play it safe.

1. Telling people about Jesus. WOW… This one grabs me everytime I think about how many people may have confessed Jesus as Lord if only I would have had the backbone (or maybe even the heart) to tell them about what He has done in my life.

On this one I say NEVER AGAIN!!

People will know the name of Jesus and all He has done for me no matter what lengths I must go to in order to do so.

So there you have it. I pray you can learn from my mistakes without having to experience them first hand. Amazingly God offers grace & forgiveness if only we will repent and choose to live for Him rather than ourselves!!

What are the things you need to address in your life today?

Jesus has been so gracious to me during the first 25 years of life and He has blessed me with the opportunity to accomplish so many things.

All glory belongs to Him because as the old baptist hymn goes, “Without Him I Would Be Nothing,” and so if I’m boasting about anyone then it is all about Him!

Because of His grace, I have been able to accomplish SO MUCH already of which I am extremely humbled, yet proud; but for the sake of time I narrowed it down.

So here it is… My TOP 5 at 25.  

5. Planting & Pastoring Revive Church. Jesus has called us to impact Cleveland County together for the sake of the Gospel and it is truly an honor to serve in this capacity as part of this incredible movement of God. Revive Church, we are just getting started. Jesus is CHANGING LIVES…

4. Becoming a Dad to the best little boy in the entire world – Kellon Andrew Porter. Words cannot describe how much I love you son. I can’t wait to watch you grow into all God has in store for you.

3. Marrying the love of my life, high-school sweetheart, and best friend – Teresa Leigh Porter. Words cannot describe how much I love you baby. We are only just beginning!! 

2. Surrendering to God’s will for my life in full-time ministry. There is nothing more fulfilling in life than living out the purpose for which God created you.

1. My decision to follow Jesus Christ!! I am convinced that NONE of the above would have been possible without first placing my faith in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus has definitely changed my life.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Trust Jesus as your Savior and you’ll be amazed at all He does with your life too!!

After taking a blogging break last week to enjoy some time with my family for my birthday, I spent a lot of my time reflecting back on the last 25 years of my life.

As I’m sure it is with many of you, there are several things God has allowed me to accomplish of which I am very happy to celebrate.

And there are plenty of things I did not accomplish that looking at in hindsight I wish I would have been more proactive.

Either way, I will be taking the rest of this week to share my life at 25…

The accomplishments. The disappointments. And maybe even a little day dream about the next 25! 

So whether you really care about all the little details of my life, or you are just looking to learn from someone else’s mistakes, it should be a lot of fun as we take a look at what God desires to do in each of our lives.