In reading an article by Charles Stanley called "Goals - Biblical or Not" I came across this scripture - Proverbs 21:5 "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty". I looked up the meaning of haste and hasten in The American Century Dictionary:
haste - urgency of movement or action; excessive hurry. Make haste, hurry; be quick
hasten - bring about sooner
So what does this mean?, it honestly was not the definition I expected. I don't know what I expected to find when I looked up the word haste but this was not it. Why does an urgency of movement or action bring about poverty? Why does being quick or trying to bring about something sooner bring poverty?
Could it be because we are putting our emotions first rather then God's will?
I played chess for the first time a few weeks ago and saw I had checkmate, or so I thought. Immediately I got excited and started talking a little junk letting the other person know I had him and there wasn't anything he could do. He moved. I smiled, yet with a slight twinge because this move was unexpected, yet I still felt he was in the bag. I stared at the board for a minute losing confidence and then I saw it again, CHECKMATE!...........or so I thought. He moved, and again it put me in quite the predictiment. Again I smiled with fear now setting in. I hastily moved hopeing for the best, wanting to get the king and get out. He took my castle. I move. He takes my knight. I move. He takes my bishop, then my queen, he proceeds to take every chess piece of mine with the exception of one pawn and my king standing there naked facing an army of well crafted battle ready chess pieces....well....you probably know what happens next. After this bruttle slaying and humbling experience he looked at me and asked me what I learned about life? This game was very much like how I go about my life.
Goals and priorities..........to be continued.
3 comments:
I keep having more thoughts concerning this subject. I think back on my life and I don't ever remember setting a goal and achieving it? This is so strange to me. I have accomplished things but never do I remember putting a concious effort towards one particular thing and going after it. I wanted to be good in soccer so I practiced. I wanted to play in college but I quit when trying out as a walk on. I wanted to do good in school but just didn't find myself willing to put everything I had in it. I wanted to do so much but if it didn't come to me well I settled for just not having. My girlfriend has a goal and she goes for it. My friends set goals and they achieve them or do there best. I sit idle waiting for everything and if I meet some friction I tend to think this is not it. How do you know what you want, what to do, what your goals are, or even just A goal?
I like it, D! Great analogy. Great story. Not to be picky, but I think it's "Checkmate" - an easy fix.
Hasty decisions are easier than thinking things through. Thinking takes work. And work equals pain. Also, it's human nature to want to take the easy way when things get tough, even if we have to cut a few corners. We want things before it's time.
peace,
j
Thanks Joe I made the change from "Chessmate" to "Checkmate"!!! haha Also thanks for the comment.
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