Proverbs 24:27
Prepare your work without, and make it fit for yourself in the field; And then afterwards build your house.
I think that it is so interesting that this proverb starts off with a phrase talking about preparation. Here is a great quote from probably one of the most successful and also most controversial coaches in all of college basketball history, Bob Knight. However, it is nonetheless very true and noteworthy. “The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.” He of course is talking about practice time. The time when you are out there working when no one is really looking. The times you do what you do, not for any reward, but simply because you love it! Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to have success. But very few are willing to pay the price that it takes to do so. He who wins most is the same as he who has prepared himself best!
The next phrase starts off with three very important words, “Make it fit”. The meaning of this phrase actually is building upon the importance of the first. A famous NBA player, who I am not going to name, once said, “Practice…who needs practice?” Of course he meant that he was so talented that he did not need any preparation. However, what this really meant to his teammates and his coaches was that he was not a team player! Talent and preparation cannot stand alone. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you are not a team player you simply won’t fit in anywhere! To fit in you have to recognize that you are simply one piece of the puzzle, and you have to adjust your corners so that they match up well with all the other ones around you. Otherwise, you will simply stand alone, and never truly fit in anywhere!
Finally, the last key word in this proverb is the word “Build”. The building of anything is not the first step, but rather the final result of any productive process. It comes after days and days of faithful practice and preparation, and when our gifts and talents are made to fit in with those of the rest of the team. However, put in simple terms, the building is “game time”! It is when everything comes together into one single outstanding performance, a performance that will forever mark us for who we were, and how we will be remembered throughout all time!
Live Wise,
Pastor LaVaughn
