Proverbs 23:4
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show
restraint.
I want instant results. I want to lose (weight) in three months what took me 27 years to put on. I want to get on a budget and become financially secure in three months, when I have a spending history that has not always been disciplined. I want to finish a chapter in my dissertation in one week, that takes two months to do. The road to instant gratification is littered by many earnest souls.
Instant gratification leads to mighty efforts, expenditures on the latest fad diet or the next piece of technology that is going to "sync" our life into perfect harmony. The proverb today exhorts us to run away from the Instant Interstate and to ride along the road marked restraint. Restraint will help us take steady, measured steps towards our goals. It will put us on a 12 month weight reduction plan with clear and measurable targets, rather than a three month health wrecking diet.
"We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year."
These thoughts on instant gratification & instant results also apply to the payback blog (3/24/10). Oh, how we love to handle things on our own ... esp. when we find ourselves whining & complaining about "how long" it's taking God to repay those who've wronged us. We need to exercise patience & restraint in this area, too ... & remind ourselves that He is just AND merciful.
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