Anytime I drive past an unfinished house - some of which lay in ruins, my mind flips back to Jesus' warning.
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' (Lk. 14:28-29)
This teaching makes absolute sense. In fact, it is a universal truth that is applicable in all aspects of our life endeavours.
To build a house, it is proper to first do the maths. How much money do you have? Would it suffice to bring the building to completion?
Some would call it 'common sense' but as we can observe, common sense is no longer common.
So to avoid ridicule, you need to plan, prepare, evaluate before you can implement.
The greatest pitfall in this regard is those who are misled by wishful thinking; those who take delight in building castles in the air - to the extent of believing that God will provide all the resources they would require to complete the building - however long it takes.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.
God would prefer that we prepare meticulously and not leave any stone unturned, or leave it to chance.
A well-conceived project must not only be couched on paper, but must have every step detailed to the very last butut. The finishing of the building is as important as the initial foundation stage.
What chances have we not taken of recent that would end in shame? Gambling or taking uncalculated risks can only spell disaster and disgrace. A well-planned life is a fulfilled life.
