“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV)

Pancake breakfasts have become a Saturday morning tradition at our house. One morning, as I prepared a batch, my older son proudly told us he had cooked the pancakes for his Scout Troop on a recent camping trip. He’d never cooked anything at home, so this was a surprise to me. He was also pleased to report that they had liked his pancakes!
Consequently, the next time we made pancakes my younger son wanted his brother to make them. My older son did a great job making pancakes for all of us, and each turned out perfectly! However, we had to wait very patiently for our breakfasts because he cooked just one pancake at a time. I suggested that he could speed up the process by cooking more than one, but he insisted that this was the way he did it.
We certainly cook pancakes differently. I cook several at a time, and while waiting for them to cook, I try to multi-task by rinsing out the mixing bowl, pouring drinks, and doing whatever else needed to be done. In just minutes I’d produce a whole batch of pancakes and would have other tasks done, too.
However, I quickly learned that productivity and efficiency weren’t the only differences in the way we made our pancakes. The results were different, too. His were better than mine! He had taken the time to tend to each pancake, making sure it cooked just right. I, on the other hand, tried to cook too many at once while juggling other tasks and my pancakes were inconsistent. Some were done perfectly, but others were too done or not done enough.
It occurred to me that results in life often parallel the lesson I learned from making pancakes. Whether tending to my family, church matters, school needs, assisting others, or just doing things for fun, the results are better and more consistent when I allow myself to tend to each task properly, treating it as if I want it to be a perfect pancake – not over-done and not under-done.
This lesson is especially important to me as I seek to serve the Lord. I want to do my best to serve Him and not compromise my efforts by taking on too much, or distracting myself with other tasks. For me, this is best accomplished by seeking God’s will and keeping my priorities in tact as I decide what to do and when to do it. I also must be patient in my efforts, taking the necessary time to do things well.
Dear Lord, Help me to serve You and manage my life and family, too, in a way that serves up satisfying and consistently pleasing results. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

Do you know Him?
Breathe by Keri Wyatt Kent
A Woman's Secret to a Balanced Life by Lysa TerKeurst and Sharon Jaynes Application Steps:
Choose to better devote yourself to the tasks God puts before you, including the way you tend to your marriage and your family.
Seek the Lord’s will for the commitments you make.
Reflections:What things interfere with your ability to accomplish your tasks?
How can you better manage the things that distract you?
How might your family benefit from better managing your time and commitments?
How might your relationship with the Lord benefit from time better focused on Him?

Power Verses:

Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” (NLT)
Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (NIV)
2 Chronicles 31:21, “He did it with all his heart, and prospered.” (KJV)