I once knew of a man, freshly hired, who was late to work. His boss extended mercy—after all, who among us has never been late? Traffic jams, missed alarms, spilled coffee, et cetera.
But then he was late, again.
And again.
And yes, again.
His boss confronted him, firmly and kindly.
The man mumbled and fumbled, hemmed and hawed, boots toeing the floor with an aw-shucks sort of speech, as if to say: What’s the big deal? yet promising to be on time going forward.
As Christians, the boss reiterated, we must strive to be people of our word.
The problem continued.
It was no surprise that his short tenure proved problematic.
***
I had a friend in college who was perpetually late. In fact, you could set a watch to her tardiness, which hovered at the 18-minute mark.
Whether it be mandatory dorm meetings, dinner dates, or church, she was incessantly tardy.
I will call my friend Lily.
One day, something quite remarkable happened during our early morning English class.
Our professor, a no-nonsense, bright, and articulate woman, held zero tolerance for laziness, pithy excuses, or tardiness. In fact, she considered punctuality the politeness of princes. On the first day of class, with heels clicking across the shiny floor of our bright classroom, she informed our large class that we were no longer high schoolers. It was high time to bid adieu to childish behaviors.
She announced that she would permit one free pass per latecomer, but following that pardon, should that same student be late again, he or she would be marked absent and receive zero credit on any assignments due.
Lily experienced her free pass on day one, and was never late to English class again.
Our professor’s strict policy proved a severe mercy.
Lily did, however, remain indelibly late for everything else.
My point?
We do what we want to do.
Although the girls on our hall adored Lily, who was both conversational and fun, could they count on her?
No.
Her reputation preceded her.
Most bothersome was her apathy in regard to church.
She had wheels, and many of us did not. When we piled into her car on Sunday mornings, we grimaced, intuiting that we would be eighteen minutes late, give or take, which proved both embarrassing and disruptive, given the stuffed sanctuary. With heads drooping, we were forced to parade to the front pew.
***
Not long ago, I remembered my English professor.
I was seated amongst a women’s group, and as Scripture was being taught, a handful of ladies trickled in ten, twenty, thirty minutes late. I could feel the distraction–palpable– as the latecomers shuffled to various seats, murmuring hello, their chairs scraping, squeaking.
While grace is required, given that tardiness is occasionally unavoidable, thoughtfulness whispers: Remain in the back, do not distract, in a respectful effort not to disrupt the flow.
Unlike my professor in a college setting, there is little recourse in these matters. The speaker was not taking attendance or handing out grades, but relying on common courtesy.
***
Have you ever been in the company of one who is chronically late?
Late to church, late to a business meeting, late to dinner, late to a family event?
Punctuality is certainly the politeness of princes, but ongoing tardiness is rude.
If you are a soul who is perpetually late, consider this truth: you likely have a heart problem.
I have nothing of the sort! you might say.
While Scripture does not state: Thou shalt not be late, the Bible sings of the beauty in remaining humble, honorable, trustworthy, and selfless.
Here are eight truths to consider:
1. Being consistently late is prideful.
Pride bathes in self-importance and conceit, prioritizing the needs and whims of self, rather than consideration for others, as supreme.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)
2. Perpetual tardiness shows a lack of discipline and self-control.
If you are perpetually late, pray for a heart change and discipline yourself to arrive early, practicing the good fruit of self-control.
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
3. Forever late to the game is a form of rebellion.
Whether it be work, church, or a coffee date with a friend, ongoing tardiness displays a heart bent on doing whatever it pleases, rather than bowing humbly to the plans and structures that have been set in place.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2)
An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.(Proverbs 17:11)
4. Refusing to arrive on time displays a lack of love.
It is never loving to insist on one’s own way, undermining authority, and garnering attention by being late to everything. It is unloving to steal people’s time, controlling the narrative by pleasing yourself.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. (Romans 12:9)
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (Philippians 1:9-10)
5. Refusing to arrive on time exhibits a lack of honor.
An honorable person follows through on promises, while a dishonorable person does not.
Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:10)
But he who is noble plans noble things,
and on noble things he stands. (Isaiah 32:8)
6. Being late may cause others to stumble.
If you are chronically late for church, let’s say, waltzing into the sanctuary on your own timetable, impervious to the service’s clear start time, you are a distraction. And is that pleasing to God? Taking people’s eyes and ears away from the pastor’s preaching, as you climb over and around others, forcing them to stand, or scoot over, taking their minds off the teaching?
Incessant tardiness is deeply irritating to those who strive to focus and press into God’s Word, and ongoing frustration may stir up anger.
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)
7. Perpetual tardiness damages your reputation and maims your witness.
We are known by our actions, which yield good fruit or rotten fruit. A damaged reputation never breeds trust and will be an obstacle to sharing our faith. How can a person trust one who has no regard for time or for keeping simple promises?
Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright. (Proverbs 20:11)
We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. (2 Corinthians 6:3)
8. A pattern of tardiness is antithetical to the pursuit of holiness:
The world might whisper: be yourself, serve yourself, arrive at whatever time suits your fancy.
Dear Christian, this is not the voice of God, who commands us:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. (Ephesians 5:15)
The Palest Ink 