HASTY DECISION RUINS

Sometime ago, I heard about a young associate pastor who was told that he won't be ordained to preside over a church and accorded the full honour of a pastor unless he was married. He came under a self-imposed pressure immediately.

In order to meet up with ordination criteria, he began to make plans to marry at all cost for a change of status. His ambition to get to the top overrode right judgement.

Prior to that time, he had no fiancée but because he wanted to meet up with the standard of ordination, he quickly found one for himself hastily. He married and was ordained.

After his wedding, his marriage became chaotic because he made the wrong choice. His decision to marry the lady he married was made under pressure not with a sound mind.  Many like him lost their ministries because of bad marriages.

*The pressure of Instant gratification and fear of missing out on self gratifying ambitions are common triggers for making hasty decisions*.

Some persons married because they came under the pressure of  satisfying sexual passion, age factor, the proverbial biological clock that was ticking, parental and peer pressure.  

*Any time you come under pressure of time to make crucial decisions, you'll make premature and poor decisions*.

The bible is against hasty decision. Proverbs 21:5 says: *"The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty*".

*Quality decisions are made within the precinct of prayerfulness,  thoughtfulness, careful observation, scrutiny and subjected to the test of time*.

Run from anyone or anything that will put you under pressure into making hasty decisions especially on crucial matters of life. Identify the trigger of pressure and deal with it. You may need to stop associating with people who put you under pressure to decide on issues that requires patience.

Abraham wouldn't have slept with Hagar if not for Sarah. Father Abraham succumbed to pressure despite having heard clearly from God that he would be father of nations. He went in to Hagar without adequate thoughtfulness on the matter. The product of that indiscretion and hasty decision is wrecking havoc all over the world today.

One hasty decision can wreck havoc for yet unborn generations. You are a product of decisions your forbears made.  Every decision made today has impact on yet unborn generation. Those that understand this don't decide any how.  

When we were learning to hear God as new converts, we were told that the voice of the devil puts us under pressure to make hasty sinful decision. It is still true till date. Anytime you find yourself in haste to make lifetime decisions, the devil is already knocking at your door, please don't open.  

Often, pressure works with anxiety. How can you handle this? *"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God*"( Phil4:6).

You can pray off pressure and subject the decision you're about to make to the test of the word, wise counsel, continuous evaluation and time. These are the tests your decisions must pass through. This is kingdom wisdom on overcoming pressure.