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Easy Come, Easy Go


Proverbs 13:11 (ESV): “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”

Even though these words were originally inspired three thousand years ago, the lesson is never more pertinent than today. Our lives happen at such a rapid pace and change seems to be accelerating with every new day, making us accustomed to things happening in an instant. We get frustrated when a webpage takes a couple of extra seconds to download … from space. And we are annoyed when a picture we texted to someone across the continent isn’t delivered instantaneously. Patience is becoming a rare treasure as we forget that some things can’t and shouldn’t happen quickly.

I think this wisdom applies to much more than material wealth. Your physical health, your emotional well-being, your relationships, your career … the list goes on and on, and all of these take time to build. Without a great deal of hard work, they are unsustainable. Easy come, easy go is all around us. It’s the guy who lost 30lbs on the fad diet and then gained back 40. It’s a couple who inherited a surprise windfall, only to have their lifestyle grow to devour it in a few years and now face bankruptcy. It’s the young professional who rises too quickly up the corporate ladder only to self-destruct when the pressure overwhelms him. It’s the young man and woman who quickly run into a relationship, being “perfect” for one another, only to become disenchanted and indifferent when real effort and sacrifice are called for.

Prosperity and abundance of any kind is fleeting if you haven’t built the strength to carry it. That strength only comes with time and patience. Don’t disparage small steps and gradual growth.

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