Hast Makes Waste

Isn’t it amazing how often we can remember a saying that was shared in the past? However, more recent comments flow out of our minds with great ease. Here are some of the pearls of wisdom said to me as a child that I still remember and likely said to my children. “Close the door, you are going to let the heat out!” When I was a child there was no air conditioning, so it was always the heat that was escaping. Another classic was, “Always wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.” I now wonder how many EMTs check a victim’s underwear after an accident before they treat them? A headscratcher I heard frequently, “You can't find it? Well, where did you leave it last?” Come on, if I could figure out that question, we would not be having this discussion! The one pearl of advice that has been dismissed now that I am older – and likely when younger – was, “Cupcakes are NOT a breakfast food!” In fact, I have changed that saying now to, “Life is short, eat cupcakes for breakfast!” You get the point. Many of the things that were said to us have stuck in our minds, but they were really not that life altering.

     However, there were several sayings that lodged in my mind which I rank highly on my list of “Worthwhile Remembering.” One was, “Hast makes waste.” Often, I look back at a decision and wished I had remembered this before I acted. Another was, “Measure twice, cut once.” Many a handyman project could have avoided aggravation if that advice was followed. The last saying that comes to mind sort of ties the preceding sayings together, “Look before you leap.” How many messes in life could have been avoided if this thought had come to mind earlier. Perhaps these words of wisdom are locked away in your minds too along with other sage pieces of advice that you have gathered over time.

     King Solomon wrote and collected “proverbs to teach people wisdom and discipline… They will give knowledge and purpose to young people” (Proverbs 1:2-4). Sadly, while he was a person of great wisdom and produced thousands of proverbs to impart that wisdom (1 Kings 4:29, 32), his later life reveals a man controlled by his passions and not his wisdom. However, the Book of Proverbs shares a collection of advice that merits a person’s attention.

     Proverbs speaks about making wise decisions that is based upon, “Thinking before you act.” He says clearly, “Zeal without knowledge is not good; a person who moves too quickly may go the wrong way” (19:2 NLT). Taking the time to gather the evidence in a situation and then distinguishing what it reveals is time well spent (20:8). For some people, the only activity in which they engage is jumping to conclusions.

     It is also wise to, “Think before you speak.” Proverbs says, “Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold or rubies” (20:15). To arrive at wise speech a person must take time to weigh their words and formulate what to say and how to say something. Sometimes it takes time for another to come along and help one process a situation and come to a wise decision as to what needs to be said (20:5).  

     Too often people fail to make plans that take into consideration sound advice that gives good counsel (20:18). Not only does this come from human advisors (19:20), but also seeking the Lord who directs the our steps (20:24). Afterall, we must remind ourselves that we can make plans but the “Lord’s purpose will prevail” (19:21).

     How many have acted rashly because emotion has been their guide and they have not taken the time to cool down and think through their actions? Sage advice in Proverbs is, “Don’t say, ‘I will get even for this wrong.’ Wait for the Lord to handle the matter” (20:22). The result of hasty action we are told is that “Short-tempered people must pay their own penalty” (19:19).

     Do you recall Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet? Romeo makes a hasty decision to take his own life after he presumes that Juliet is dead. Making an impulsive decision he ingests poison before receiving the truth that she was not dead, but merely drugged. Juliet revives, sees dead Romeo, and takes her life. The tragedy reveals Romeo’s hast. He failed to assess the actual situation and overlooked the potential advice of others. His deadly plans were hatched based upon the emotion of the moment. How tragic indeed, “Haste makes waste.” Proverbs also says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death… The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with great confidence” (14:12, 16). A valuable alternative is to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (3:5-6).

     Someone has suggested that there is real wisdom in reading a chapter of Proverbs each day during a month, since there are thirty-one chapters. That is one way to acquire God’s wisdom. You may say, “That takes too much time.” But I suggest, “Hast makes waste, but pausing may be profitable!”