Pay Me Now or Later…

“You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.” 

Have you ever heard that from a mechanic? A plumber? An electrician? An exterminator? A doctor? A contractor? Someone who knows a lot more about fixing something than you do, and has given you a quote that made your eyes bug out of your head?

It seems when we have a problem with an item we own (even our own body at times!) there are two choices: pay now for preventative maintenance and to fix the current issue, or pay much more later with a larger problem that may not be able to be fixed- the whole thing will need replaced.

And sometimes (okay maybe most of the time) I doubt the expert. I doubt the person who deals with these issues day in and day out, has seen this exact thing hundreds (maybe thousands) of times, and offers the advice they think is best to correct the issue. I don’t want to believe it should cost that much to fix this. I may even ask myself (in those few silent seconds before I answer) “Is it really that big of a deal?” “What will really happen if I don’t fix it right now?” “I can’t imagine it could get worse than it is right now. I’ll just wait and see what happens.”

And usually we (okay, I, again) either tell them right away “Go ahead and fix it,” or “Let me think about it,” with no intention to ever call them back and have them fix it.

My decision honestly depends on several things: What is the reputation of the person telling me this information? What is their track record of repeat business? Have they led me wrong before, or helped me fix things in the past? How important is this to me? How much am I willing to invest in this? What all do I have going on right now? Can I afford to do this right now? Do I have the time to be inconvenienced by this right now? Can I afford to not do this right now?

Those are all things I need to consider. If I’m going to be without a car for some time, I need to figure out how I’m going to get to work and the grocery store. If people are going to be in my house fixing stuff, I need to make sure I’m home so they can get in. If I have to be without my computer for some time, I need to make sure I have another way to do the work I usually do on it. If I have to send my glasses out to be fixed, how long can I survive without them? I have to consider the costs to myself beyond the financial aspect.

I almost never think farther ahead than that, but instead focus on how the ‘fixing’ will affect me in the moment. What I should start doing is thinking about what would happen if I don’t fix it, and it breaks completely. Can I afford to replace it fully? Can I buy a new car right now, or replace the engine in the one I have if I don’t take care of this problem? Can I afford to replace the whole HVAC system in my home if I don’t fix this issue now? Can I afford to buy a new laptop if I don’t do the maintenance on the one I have?

The answer is almost always no. I can’t afford to replace these things completely, and yet somehow I convince myself I also cannot afford to fix them. But doing nothing is choosing not to fix it. It is deciding to stubbornly wait it out, hoping the problem will go away on its own instead of requiring further investment from me.

If I’m honest with myself, I sometimes look at my spiritual condition with these same eyes.

Someone who loves God and loves me brings a fault to my attention, something that could use repair. And in that moment I weigh their words, and either give God (and perhaps them) the promise that I am committed to investing in the process of fixing this thing, or I decide to ride it out and see how bad it gets, hoping I don’t get bit in the rear end for choosing to ignore the problem.

[I’ve been bit in the rear end plenty of times before, just in case you’re wondering. It hurts. Duh.] 

I go through the same process spiritually that I do when I’m faced with an issue regarding an item I own in need of repair: What is the reputation of the person telling me this information? What is their track record of repeat business? Have they led me wrong before, or helped me fix things in the past? How important is this to me? How much am I willing to invest in this? What all do I have going on right now? Can I afford to do this right now? Do I have the time to be inconvenienced by this right now? Can I afford to not do this right now? 

And then I have to make the decision to invest in fixing it, or let it get worse. Perhaps to the point where it is beyond repair. 

This applies to my relationships with others, my behavior, the way I choose to spend my time, how I speak to and about others, and any other issue you can think of where repair may be necessary. God graciously allows us time to get right, and usually it’s not too late as long as we are alive, but why put off doing good? What can be more important in the life of a child of God than making sure I am in right standing before Him and with others?

If I’m honest, fixing things is inconvenient. It requires time to examine myself. It requires me to make time with God to ask for His help (because I obviously can’t do it on my own). But most likely it’s inconvenient because it requires me to admit I’ve been wrong. It exposes a character flaw that makes me feel bad. And because I don’t want to feel bad, I ignore it. And then that flaw happens again. And again. And before I know it, not only is that flaw my go-to response, but I now have way more instances that I need to go and fix (make things right). If I had taken the admonition of my friend in the first place, the problem wouldn’t be so bad now. 

There is a lot of encouragement in the scripture to examine ourselves. To be aware of our weaknesses so we don’t let them control us and draw us away from the Lord. I honestly can’t think of one time in my life where when I put off making something right that I said: “Boy am I glad I waited. It was so much easier after putting it off all this time!” 

See, what happens (at least to me) in the time I wait is that I psych myself out of taking care of it. I convince myself it’s not worth the risk involved. The other person will probably reject me and my efforts anyway. I tell myself it isn’t really that bad, and other people just need to get over it. It’s their problem.

But it isn’t. It’s my problem. The fixing lies squarely in my lap, because the problem is ME. 

Lord help me do the necessary maintenance right away to keep my relationship with You and others in good repair, so I don’t have to deal with a huge problem later. 

Proverbs 6:6-11
(6) Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
(7) Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
(8) Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
(9) How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
(10) Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
(11) So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Hebrews 3:12-15
(12) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
(13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
(14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;(15) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Proverbs 4-11
(4) He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
(5) He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
(6) Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
(7) The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
(8) The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
(9) He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
(10) He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
(11) The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.