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Have you ever heard the old saying, “Don’t go
off half-cocked?” Growing up on a farm we did a lot of hunting. That
way, we put a lot of meat on the table for our family of 10. I
remember that our shotguns had a safety, activated by pulling the
hammer half way back, into the half-cocked position. That way we
could walk safely through the woods toward the hunting area. Once in
the hunting area we were supposed to pull the hammer all the way
back to be ready to fire. I was too young to have a gun but I
remember some of my brothers failing to bring home supper because
they left their guns in the half-cocked position and couldn’t fire
when the opportunity arose.
I’m talking about being prepared for whatever
endeavor you are pursuing. Luke 14:28-30 says, “Suppose one of you
wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the
cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays
the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it
will ridicule him, saying, this fellow began to build and was not
able to finish.” I see a lot of people who waste too much time and
energy starting or getting involved in things without considering
the full impact on their lives. This mistake takes a wide variety of
forms. I see a lot of people who make significant financial
commitments based on a whim or on poor research and end up over
their heads in debt, especially credit card debt. Some younger people
will make the decision to change jobs so often that they never build
a foundation in a career and do not have the experience or training
to move to a higher level in salary or any other area of
concern. There are many who do not consider the cost of failing to
work on their relationships as they age, only to be hurt as their
relationship falls apart. One of the fastest growing segments of the
national divorce rate is ‘following the 25th Anniversary!’
I realize that we live in a microwave world. We
get impatient if our meal takes more than three minutes to
prepare. However, when you compare a microwave dinner to a 5-course
meal carefully prepared at a fine restaurant I think you would
choose to wait patiently. We get suckered in to being impatient
because most things in life seem to happen quickly. TV sitcoms
resolve serious social issues in 30 minutes. Advertisers tell us
we
can have it all and we can also have it NOW! It is okay to rush
some things but when considering the things that really matter it is
best to listen to the truth in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things
there is no law.” How about that; patience is a spiritual thing
that will help you in the real world and can prevent you from going
off half-cocked!
Common Sense Application
1. In financial matters, delay commitments for
a period of time and consult trusted advisors. Professionals like
Dave Ramsey (www.financialpeace.com)
give great advice.
2. In spiritual matters, immerse yourself in
God’s Word on a daily basis. Find a church with quality Bible Study
and Worship and attend regularly. Develop a consistent prayer life.
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