* Measure twice, cut once!

SLOW is not Lazy! (Measure twice, cut once!)

Rushing to action is the bane of the business world. Speed is often a substitute for thinking. There is a lot of value to slowing down in the impulsive and unthinking business world. The same can be true of our spiritual lives. This of course affects all other relationships. America is an action-oriented culture. There is a lot of energy and dynamism here, but we do tend to overdo it sometimes. Action is visible, whereas thinking or considering is invisible.

How can someone be considerate and calm on a diet of sugar and caffeine? That’s the sort of diet seen with people living in the workplace who are caught running from one activity to another. It’s no wonder that many in business are so impulsive and resist calm consideration.

Slow can be hard work, but accepting a slow process has a better chance of success. It takes time to produce a polished piece of work that does the job it is supposed to do. And that is based on some slow thinking and the willingness to think before acting.

There are two related carpenter's proverbs:
The first proverb, Measure Twice Cut Once rings true to any builder, who out of experience, can relate that a careful measurement is indeed good. Measuring twice will surprise you now and then, yielding a different measurement the second time around. It is a matter of knowing yourself well enough to humbly admit whether you understand something or not and avoid charging forward.

The second proverb, Measure Once Cut Twice, is a painful reminder of times when things didn't go so well. When you thought you had it all right--you had confidence and--wham!, you ended up cutting a piece of expensive stock wood precisely an inch too short, which is usually proceeded by frustration and the proverbial, “Dang it!” (Dang it! that is, if you’re walking in the Spirit). The goal is to get the measurement right, not spend all day adjusting tools for success.

Some tend to open the new box from Home-Depot and start assembling, only to find themselves with a garage full of spare parts and an incomplete assembly. Then your spouse walks in and says, “Is that it?”

Your pride was wounded, the temptation to defend yourself is present, you say something you later regret, dinner is now served cold, the stress level at home raises 30 degrees, you don’t want to go to bed mad, you apologize, and before you retire for the evening you remembered that wise old saying, Measure Twice Cut Once!

In life, we make moment-by-moment choices. The success of most choices is dependent on our attitude going into the choice. This is why it is so important to be walking in the Spirit of God and having daily devotions. Blessings come to those who wait, not to those that hesitate.

“You deviate an inch on the map, you lose a thousand miles on the ground”

"Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way..." --Proverbs 19:2