Finding the Way Home
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Below is the archived version of Marshall Hayden's eNewesletter "Finding the Way Home." If you would like to be added to to mailing list, please send a blank email to evangelism-subscribe@worthingtoncc.org.

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January 2008

What about this business of making decisions?

In recent years there have been several good books written about leadership. In fact, when Standard Publishing asked some of us late last year to send along a list of the most helpful books that we had recently read, which could be put on their web site one of these days, I sent my top ten. Two of them were on the marriage relationship and the other eight were on leadership. And out of that list two of the good ones saw the issue of making and dealing with decisions from a somewhat different perspective.

In The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard introduced a fellow who went by that title, “the one minute manager.” He was approached by a young intern who had come to learn from him. Right away the mentor gave him a project, said “I don’t make decisions for other people,“ suggested that he needed to get started, and sent him on his way. To make a short book even shorter – the intern learned about one minute goals, one minute praises, and one minute reprimands. There is a lot more to the idea than this; but it sounds as though he is recommending quick decisions.

In the best book that I have read more recently, The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, university president Steven Sample outlines, and then discusses, fifteen key rules that guide the way he does things. One of these is “Never make a decision yourself that can reasonably be delegated to a lieutenant; and never make a decision today that can reasonably be put off to tomorrow.” Later he comments that a decision put off too long is a bigger problem than one made too quickly, but it sounds as though he is suggesting slow decisions.

These things have come back to my mind this morning, because in our church we have announced that this Saturday is a “decision day.” Any day can be that; but sometimes we need a target, a “now is the time.” We are praying for hearts turned to Christ, for baptisms, and for commitments to partnership in this part of his kingdom.

This leads me to think about some decisions that are made too quickly and some that are not made quickly enough. We can jump at some frivolous things, and at some hurtful things, when we leap to accept an impulse or bite on a tantalizing temptation. We might undertake a job offer or enter a shallow relationship that deserved a more careful search and a lot more critical thought. But there are some supremely important things, most notably our response to the eternal God’s gracious offer of the Savior, that get delayed and deferred. We are full of “reasons,” ready with excuses; but the one who is cheated the most when I offer them is me. “I came that they might have life – full life” Jesus said. And that is absolutely true, by every present and every final measure. Can you think of one worthy reason that a decision for grace, forgiveness, newness, love, hope, joy, and life should be put off until later?