Growing up, one of our favorite stories was the story of the turtle (or was it Tortoise) and the hare. Most of the pre-video game generation, remember the simple story.
This is my version, or what I remember… One day this particular rabbit was bragging about how fast he was to all his friends. The turtle heard him and said he could beat him in a race. Well, this crawled all over the rabbit, and his reputation was on the line (as well as a bucket of pride), so he accepted the challenge and added a few little statements on just how bad he would beat the turtle. Everyone prepared for the event. Finally the day came for the race, and the two racers got ready to run. “Get ready!” “Set” “Go!” With a cloud of dust, the rabbit leaves the turtle behind, and gets so far ahead of the turtle, that he decides to stop and take a nap, while the turtle slowly, but surely moves forward. After awhile, the rabbit wakes up and looks around and sees the turtle has passed him and is close to the finish line. The rabbit puts all his energy into running as fast as he can, but the turtle, even though he was tired, and never stopped… won the race.
There are some good lessons for us in this story. 1.) If you start something ─ finish it! I have found myself trying to multi-task at times, and I get bogged down. Pressure builds, and accomplishments dwindle. One by one is the way it’s done. Sit down, and make a list, and numbering the jobs in order of importance. Finish the job you hate the most first. This gives momentum for completing the other jobs. 2.) Slow isn’t always bad. Being slow can be frustrating at times, but the idea is to set a good pace and keep with it. 3.) Make the most of who you are and stop trying to be something you are not. You are special and you have certain talents and gifts… use them to the best of your ability. Weaknesses can be worked on and improved as you go and grow. 4.) Slow doesn’t always loose, and fast doesn’t always win. Fast sometimes brings carelessness and mistakes, and time again spent in correcting mistakes. Taking a ‘short-cut’ isn’t always the best thing to do. The more difficult and detailed something is, the slower you may have to work… just make sure when you’re done… it is done right. In the end you may accomplish more than the one who rushes through a job and fails at the quality hoped for. Whether building a house, putting in a water line, or writing for the newspaper, being fast isn’t always good.
When Jesus finished His work here on earth… He wasn’t running a race, but He was finishing the job given Him. Nothing could be left to chance. When He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He meant it. The work of fulfilling the law, and providing a way for lost humanity to be saved was done, and done right the first time!