When It Pays to Be "Slow"

By: Steve Kroening

Have you ever considered how successful God is? He's incredibly successful! The Scriptures tell us His purposes never fail (Job 42:2). Now that is what I call ultimate success. How would you like to have that kind of success rate? I know, it'll never happen this side of heaven. But still, we can learn a lot from how God achieves His success.

For instance, let's look at how long it takes for God to accomplish His purposes. Sure, He could will it to happen overnight, but that's not how He operates. He takes His time. He is patient.

I once heard a pastor say that God's patience is one of His most powerful attributes. While most of His other attributes show His power over His creation, God's patience shows His power over Himself. What an incredible thought!

So what can we learn from God's patience?

Obviously, we can see that God's patience is a major part of what brings Him success. And patience is also a major part of what can bring us success in our endeavors. It also helps us avoid failure.

How often do people jump ahead of themselves by borrowing a lot of money to get a business going, only to watch the debt destroy the business? If they'd had patience, they may have been able to stay out of debt. And how often do we see hasty decisions cause the downfall of an enterprise? With patience, the decision-makers could have sought the advice of others. These situations occur all the time.

Worse yet, how many times do we see a venture fail because the person gives up too soon? Unfortunately, we see it all the time.

Just think about where we would be today if Thomas Edison had given up. It took him thousands of efforts to finally invent the electric light bulb. But he never gave up. In fact, before finally finding success, he said, "I haven't failed, I've identified 10,000 ways that it doesn't work." His perseverance forever changed the way the world operates.

Hebrews 6:12 tells us that those who are patient will inherit the promises of God. And Matthew 5:5 tells us the meek -- another way of saying "the patient" -- shall inherit the earth. This is God's way of saying patience brings eternal success. But it is also a key to earthly success. No wonder the Bible tells us to "be imitators of God"! (Eph. 5:1)

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Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom's Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.

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