Error On The Side Of Caution

"A master carpenter measures ten times and cuts only once rather than measure once and cut ten times." We must carefully plan out each step of our journey, and never let our anxious anticipation deceive us into acting without taking the time to properly prepare. Luke 14:28-30 asks "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish." Being patient in our preparation allows us to spot wrinkles that would otherwise have been unforeseen because we allow ourselves the opportunity to reevaluate the situation and take everything into consideration. In some instances we may act hastily out of anger or frustration and end up making decisions that we later regret, but when we give ourselves time to calm down we generally see the overall picture instead of merely noticing the one spot the painter missed. Rash decision making typically leads to "just missing out" on the opportunity we are awaiting. When we are too anxious we are prone to jump at the first thing that "looks" similar to what we are looking for. I have fallen victim to my own anxious anticipation more times than I would like to admit, with the same results yielded each time. I have moved too soon on multiple occasions and have gotten an artificial answer to my questions. I was always told that "anything that doesn't give you time to think is of the devil." I generally laughed at the statement, but now I understand its meaning. Opportunity will not wait for us to be slowful, but it will give us time to prepare. Being prepared inspires confidence. It allows us to act instinctively versus thoughtlessly. In football, a quarterback has 3 or 4 seconds to read the defense and determine which receiver should get the ball. If he is indecisive he will miss his window of opportunity and will either get sacked, or even worse, throw an interception. But, when we have already done our homework, we are not nervous about the test; it is merely a formality that comes with making an A. If we ARE ready then we have no need to GET ready. So if we are to error in any way, it is best to ERROR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.