Watching a monarch caterpillar (pupae) form its chrysalis was an incredible experience. It took several minutes and the struggle was very obvious. Any attempt to speed up the process or make it avoid those struggles would have smothered its chance of becoming a full-fledged butterfly. It reminded me that anything truly beautiful requires time and perseverance through struggles. There are no quick fixes in things that endure.

Anything truly beautiful requires time and perseverance through struggles. There are no quick fixes in things that endure…until you begin a thing you don’t get to see its glorious completion…Anything of worth takes time.

Our passage of scripture brings out some factors for success. Setting out is one of them. We are told that in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon was the foundation of the temple laid. Nothing gets done unless there is first a setting out. We cannot improve on what we never started. In other words, until you begin a thing you don’t get to see its glorious completion. However, starting something does not automatically guarantee its successful completion. After setting out, you have to stay through. There is no point getting discouraged and throwing in the towel simply because you don’t see immediate results. I came across this Jeff Bezos quote recently: “You can be grinding for 4 years with no results, and in the 5th year, become the biggest thing on the planet. The power of not giving up is real”. Solomon was grinding at the construction of the temple for seven years. When it was done, it attracted people from all over the earth to Jerusalem. Anything of worth takes time.