This Maxim speaks of proper timing while it speaks of due measure. It is because of this that it feels to me that this Maxim is about the fruits of a person’s labors. People used to be compensated for their work with a share of the crops hence the phrase “due measure”. But we are to ACCEPT that measure, and this is where things get interesting.

What happens if we feel we are not getting what we are properly due? Do we have to accept that and then work to get the rest? Or, do we not accept it until we get what we are due? I would have to say that this depends on circumstances. If not accepting less than our properly due measure is something that we feel we can afford to do, then perhaps we should not. However, that determination is where the difficulty arises in the situation as sometimes survival dictates we must take what we can get.

This does not mean that we should not strive for what we deserve. On the contrary, we should do everything in our power to ensure that we do get what we have earned by any honorable means possible. Only in this way can we truly live this Maxim.