Ezra 7

Absolutely It

Let it be done exactly. Ezra 7:23.

The other day I watched a girl sewing. Round her neck she had hung an inch-tape, and every now and then she stopped sewing, took her inch-tape, and measured a fold in her cloth. Then she ran her needle and thread along the fold. She was making tucks, symmetrical lace or ruffles used to decorate clothing. And to make tucks that will look nice when you wear them you have to be most particular. If you haven't got exactly the same distance between each tuck, or if you haven't got exactly the same depth of tuck, the consequences will be rather peculiar. The ruffles will look like the waves of the sea. One will be dipping down to meet another, and a third will be rising up to touch its neighbor. The set of ruffles and the whole garment will be spoiled if the measurements are not exact.

Sewing inch-tapes are only for girls, the boys will say. But, boys, what about a measuring tape? That's just a masculine inch-tape. You use it, and you know that it would be almost impossible for you to do any carpentry, or handy jobs that require measurement. If you haven't one of your own you know how you admire your father or the workman who whips out a wind-up measuring tape from his belt. It positively makes your fingers itch to see him unwind the tape, measure something, and have the tape automatically rewinds.

Sewing inch-tapes and measuring tapes, plumb-lines and levels they are all invaluable, for they help us to turn out correct and exact work. Guess-work may be clever, but it is risky, lazy, and maybe even dishonest.

Now the world may be divided into those who use inch-tapes and measuring tapes, and those who don't. The first will have only what is “absolutely it” and the second are content with a “near enough.” You hear some people say such and such is “near enough” or “What's half an inch here or there?” or “A quarter or dollar more or less doesn't matter.” But that's where they are wrong. “Near enough” is not near enough. It might as well be miles away.

There are two reasons that such people usually give why “near enough” will do, and I want to show you that both are false.

1. The first reason they give is that “near enough” is easier than “absolutely it.” It may seem easier at the moment not to measure your ruffles, but it saves you unpicking it and sewing it over again. It may be easier to go on building a wall and adding brick to brick without constantly stopping to use your plumb-line and level to see that it is straight up and down, but it is much more troublesome to have to pull down the wall and rebuild it because it is leaning over by the time you reach the top. Exactness is a savings of time, not a waste of time, and double checking your certainty should be first in the end.

2. The second reason which the “near enoughs” give is that it really doesn ' t matter. Doesn't it? Carelessness always matters. It is dangerous for yourself, and it is dangerous for other people.

A workman who was making a saddle put in a piece of inferior work, but he thought it would pass and did not trouble to make it right. That saddle was ridden in the Zulu war by the Prince Imperial. During a battle the prince was surrounded by the wild tribesmen and had to fight for dear life. He had a good horse under him, his friends were coming to his rescue, and it was merely a case of holding on till they arrived, but suddenly his saddle strap broke and he was thrown to the ground. In a moment the Zulus were upon him and he was wounded to death. The heir to the throne of France lost his life because a careless saddle maker thought “close enough” would do in making a saddle.

Here is another story. Some years ago the United States of America were passing a law where fruit-plants should be admitted into the country free of import taxes, to boost fruit growing. Among the items named were fruit-plants, with a hyphen between “fruit” and “plants.” That meant that any growing fruit-plants for transplanting might come in without paying duty. The clerk who was copying the bill missed out the hyphen and stuck in a comma instead, making the words read “fruit, plants,” etc. What do you think happened? For a whole year, until Congress could remedy the blunder, all oranges, lemons, bananas, grapes, and other foreign fruits came in tax free, and the American Government lost a lot of money more money than anyone makes all year. That was a pretty costly comma, wasn't it?

Boys and girls, don't believe the “close enoughs.” They are wrong every time. Make up your mind today that you will “do it right” for your own sake, because it is the only honest way; for other people's sake, because it is the only safe way; most of all for Christ's sake, because it is His way.