Proverbs 25:8
Don’t strive and over-pursue a purpose in haste.
I am sure that all of us have heard the advice, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Take your time!” Or maybe we heard it like this, “Take it one day at a time....one step at a time!”
All of this is great advice, and certainly life is a step by step process that is very similar to building a tall building. We can’t skimp on the structural details of the first story, in order to hastily move on to the higher levels. Higher levels in any structure simply can’t be built until the foundations of the lower ones are fully complete and stable. If you do, the weakness of the lower will not be able to withstand the weight of the upper, and the building will eventually implode upon itself.
Large commercial architectural projects possess intricate blueprints concerning every aspect of the building... and a faithful contractor will be present to oversee and direct the entire process successfully. Even our small personal projects; such as home entertainment systems, shelving and such are accompanied by comprehensive instructional manuals. However, life building processes can be much more difficult that they might seem... and often it is not a matter of the presence of strife in our lives that gets us moving too fast, but the absence of knowledge. We have all had our struggles in this area of knowing what to do and when to do it.
So, what do we do when the situation has no blueprint, and completing the task will require some form of creativity? This is the way real life oftentimes comes at us. Especially when we are moving forward in faith to create something that previously did not exist, like a business, an innovative idea, new relationships, or a paradigm for any life structure. Basically, we must apply the exact same wisdom. Don’t get hasty. Don’t over pursue! We need to keep everything in front of us.
When I say, “Keep things in front”, I am talking about the decision-making process. Sometimes not making a decision is the best overall decision. Once we make a move it can be easy for things to get behind us, or even worse, beyond us! Also, don’t be tempted to take on the whole situation at once. Take some time to simplify things by separating the singular issue into smaller sub-issues. Then tackle one sub-issue at a time. This can quickly turn any mountain into a mole hill... thus making it much easier to conquer! No matter how tall the mountain...it can only be conquered...one step at a time!