One of the liabilities of moving so fast is that we make quick decisions that defy logic. Impulse posts, tweets, blogs, purchases and decisions are gaining ground. For those who follow professional golf lean into this analogy. I can think of a dozen, or so young PGA players (especially those who've won some recent Major's) that have won a big tournament and within weeks they have replaced their management team, agent, and club/shoe manufacturer sponsors. Not to mention swing coaches. Follow them after these abrupt changes and you soon discover that many of the changes came when everything was moving soooooooo fast and they seem to have gotten caught up in all of it. Many of them struggle to win again the same year. And for some the win drought is a lot longer. My question is why?Why would you change something that is working? Why would you tinker, or mess with a good thing? So let me get this straight----you won with your first swing coach, Titleist clubs, and Adidas shoes. But all of the sudden after your big win you switch to Nike clubs, Nike shoes and a new swing coach? Several have even switched caddies, or management teams. If you won, or were doing well why wouldn't you stay with the girl you brought to the dance? I understand that sometimes change is necessary, but many of these are changing without thinking it through, or stopping to consider what/who helped get them to the winning moment.
Churches and Christ-followers are no exception. Sometimes we change simply for the sake of change. I don't get it. Let's say we have a successful ministry going and people are being ministered to and lives are being changed. Why this overwhelming need to tinker with what's working? People do it on their jobs, with home/car and other big ticket purchases, a favorite restaurant, physicians, and more. We are far too easily distracted when success, victory or a good season comes. We tend to forget the things/people that got is there. I'm all for innovation and change, but wise are the people who think things through and introduce change slowly! I'm not saying you have to move like a turtle, but why move at the speed of sound?
What changes are you about to make? How much thought have you given to this change? Have you prayed about? Have you sought wise and objective counsel? Or, are you going with your gut? Be careful! Gut, or intuition is a marvelous thing, but important decisions should be based on much more than emotions. Something may "feel" right, but in the big picture it's not. Just because I walk into a grocery store hungry there is no reason to fill my shopping cart with junk food. That's bad decision making and poor logic. It shows I am reacting to my circumstances instead of acting with wisdom and conviction.
I've shared this before but it's worth repeating. Years ago, a very wise man and boss taught me the art of "sleeping on it". Our organization had been short-changed by a vendor and I rifled off an accurate, but hot letter of protest. My boss read the letter and even said it was well-written. Then he asked me to put it in my desk drawer, go home, pray and think about it overnight. The next day I pulled it out of my desk and reviewed it. Ouch! While accurate it was not appropriate. Time and distance had given me a different perspective. Wisdom dictated that I should destroy the letter and I did.
So let me encourage you to take some time on your decisions. Think it through. Wrestle with it, pray over it and seek the input of those you respect. If you still believe it's the right decision then by all means go for it! However, be open to putting on the brakes and taking stock of just how good things are going. You never know, you just might gain an appreciation for the way things are going.
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