Norfords' Ramblings

Friday May 1, 2009

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5.

I think the idea here is that a job properly done will be of far greater benefit than a quick shoddy job. A product that is reliable and lasts will net the producer better returns than a poor quality one that fails. I think back to Japan. In the 1950s, Japan was the place for inexpensive copies of western made goods and soon gained a reputation for sloppy workmanship. But Japan learnt the lesson, and when Japan manufactured cars for western markets, they were more reliable and had fewer defects than new American cars. Many of us drive Japanese cars today. China may be going through the same process today.

If there is one profession where diligent attention to detail is necessary it is in the medical field. Here it is not just a matter of inconvenience; it touches on life and death. I’m so glad I had a surgeon of that calibre; there are too many horror stories of those surgeons who did not, or could not, perform adequately. And the same is true of life generally. A successful and satisfying life is one where at least one task is completed well, rather than a dozen or more incomplete or poorly finished.

One task that stands out is the fostering of relationships, because they affect our ability to cope in other areas and poor relationships affect the lives of others, particularly our children and coming generations. That is not to say that balancing legitimate competing demands is not a challenge, but selecting priorities is vital. For me those relationships are built on my ongoing relationship with God which teaches me so much about getting along with others. And in this case the proverbial “profit” or “poverty” is beyond what can be gained or lost with money.