SLOW CHANGES BREED DEEP LASTING GROWTH

June 13, 2013

“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.”
-Proverbs 21:5

Abraham the father of faith had to wait for 90 years before receiving the promised child, and we see how Isreal, the nation came to be because of this. I’m not saying God will make you wait for 90 years but technology has made us impatient these days. Our lives benefit from deep, lasting growth when we make changes slowly.

Read this illustration by Jim Daly on his post titled “The Two Rivet Rule”:

At the time the Golden Gate Bridge was built in the 1930s, its designers believed their construction could withstand any magnitude earthquake. But the bridge lies just a few miles from the infamous San Andreas fault, making it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. As a crucial transportation hub for the San Francisco area, it was decided several sections of the bridge needed to undergo a “seismic retrofit.”

There was only one problem. The bridge had to remain strong, usable, and as safe as possible against earthquakes until the retrofit was complete. To insure that, a “two rivet rule” was applied. This meant no more than two rivets at a time could be removed. If an earthquake were to strike and too many rivets were out of place, the bridge’s entire web of steel could collapse.

Something similar to the “two rivet” rule can be a helpful principle for life as well. Change, by nature, creates instability. When you’re able to limit the amount of change you take on at any one time, the instability can be controlled. But when you alter too many areas of your life at once, problems can rapidly overwhelm you.

True, life is unpredictable, and unexpected circumstances can befall us without warning. In those times, it’s only God’s grace and the support of family and friends that sustain us until we regain our strength. But much of the havoc we face in life is our own doing. The key, then, is to stay open to adjustments and opportunities, but, whenever possible, only change a few things in life at a time.

Check out Jim Daly’s blog at JimDalyBlog.com.

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