How do you resist the temptation to always take circumstances at face value? (83-2)
Leaders put a lid on their potential for growth and eliminate expanded leadership opportunities if they continually jump to conclusions before they know all the facts. Read 1 Samuel 1:9-17.
Eli was the Chief Priest at Shiloh. He happened to be in the temple when Hannah came to cry out to the Lord about her childless condition. Hannah was broken hearted and her body language showed total focus on communication with her God. It seems logical that most priests in the temple viewing an emotional outpouring might assume a person with great need was crying out to God. Eli assumed Hannah had been drinking!
One of the most common communication errors among leaders is jumping to conclusions before knowing the facts. Eli observed Hannah and immediately concluded that she was muttering out of drunkenness. Since it never occurred to him that there might be another explanation for her behavior, Eli misjudged Hannah’s character and intentions. A good leader does not judge according to appearances, but according to facts.
How do you separate decisions that need instant answers and those that need thought time before a decision? How do you resist the temptation to always take circumstances at face value rather than getting the facts? Proverbs 18:17 (tlb) says “Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.” Proverbs 18:13 (tlb) says “What a shame – yes, how stupid! – to decide before knowing the facts.” Effective leaders know when the situation requires an instant decision (based solely on their experience and instincts) and when the response requires gathering more facts before making decisions.
Write a short prayer asking God to give you decision making discernment. Start your day each day with the prayer you have written.
