Pursuing Excellence

Over the last two years I've learned to never leave home without a book in hand because I never know how long I will be waiting when I get to where I'm going. And rather than sit and fidget, get impatient and complain...I open my book. Today, while waiting in my doctor's office, I did just that.

I opened Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now and read the last two chapters. He shared a story that I'd like to share now with all of you.

"I heard a story about a wealthy man whose friend was a builder. This builder was down on his luck and hadn't had much work lately, so the wealthy man felt sorry for him and decided to help him out. He gave him a set of plans and a check for $300,000. He said, 'I want you to build me a new home. I don't have time to bother with it. I'm turning it all over to you. You make all the decisions. I trust you. If you do a good job, I promise to pay you well.' This builder was so excited. He could finally start making some money.

But he got to thinking, 'If I cut a few corners here and there, maybe I could pocket some of that $300,000.' So he went out and bought the cheapest concrete he could find. He had the cement mixer water it down so it would stretch further. He saved four or five thousand dollars right there.

Excited, he went out and found the cheapest lumber he could find. Some of it was bent and warped and crooked. He didn't care. It was going to be hidden behind the walls. Nobody would ever see it. He did the same thing with the plumbing, electrical work, and so on...cutting corners and saving money. When the house was completed, he had saved nearly $40,000, which he discreetly deposited in his own bank account.

He called his wealthy friend to come take a look at the house. The purchaser was quite impressed. On the surface, the home looked beautiful. He never guessed that the builder had cut corners, compromising the integrity of the whole house. The builder was ecstatic as he noted the pleased expression on the owner's face. He couldn't wait to see how much he was going to get paid. After all, he knew the owner was a very generous man.

As the wealthy man walked to the front door, he turned with a twinkle in his eye and said to the builder, 'You know, I don't really need this home. I already have a beautiful home. I was just trying to help you out and do you a favor.' He handed the builder the keys, and said, 'Here my friend. This is for you. You've just built yourself a brand-new home.' That builder nearly passed out. He thought, 'If I had known it was going to be my own, I would have built it a whole lot better!'

The truth is, whether we realize it or not...we all are building our own homes. We may cut corners here and there, but it's not hurting anybody except ourselves. Those poor decisions will weaken our foundations, causing us all kinds of problems in the future. Everything may look fine on the surface, but what really counts is what's going on within the walls, behind closed doors.

What do we do when nobody is watching? Are we watering down our foundations because of a lack of integrity? Are we cheating people here and not paying taxes over there, compromising right and left? What kind of materials are we putting into our own homes?

This builder got into his new house and three months later, he was having foundation problems. Six months after that, cracks appeared in the walls. The plumbing wouldn't work right. It cost him far more than the $40,000 he'd "saved" to fix all those problems. If he had it to do over again, he would do it right the first time."

Yep...made me think, too. Need I say more?