The following is an excerpt from "Big Choices," part 2 of the series, "Choices," by Mark Batterson of National Community Church.
The Third Temptation
Once you examine the walls you’ve got to make a decision. The worst decision is indecision.
I recently read Patrick Lencioni’s bestselling book The Five Temptations of a CEO. I found temptation three fascinating. It’s the temptation to insure that your decisions are correct. That seems like a good thing, but Lencioni delineates. He says, “It’s the temptation to choose certainty over clarity.” Some people fear being wrong so much that they wait until they’re absolutely certain about something before they make a decision.
One of our core values is everything is an experiment. We aren’t afraid of making mistakes. In fact, if we aren’t making mistakes we aren’t trying enough new things! You’ve got to overcome that fear of being wrong.
I think the three most powerful words you can say are “I love you.” But next to that, the three most powerful words you can say are “I was wrong.” And the only way you get to say those words is if you make a bad decision!
Theodore Roosevelt said, “In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
Some people live in suspended animation —they try to avoid the anxiety of saying yes and the guilt of saying no by living in indecision. Make a choice!
