Here are a few tips researchers offer to help avoid rash or impulsive decisions: Take time to reflect and keep the big picture in mind. Eat healthy foods; they help give the body and brain energy to make wiser decisions. Also, sleep restores energy to the brain and body. Even lemonade can help to renew energy. Try to avoid making important decisions late in the day after a busy day of decision-making. In Numbers 20, we see how Moses made a rash decision that cost him entry into the Promised Land. As the leader of some 2 million people coming out of slavery, he got frustrated by the people’s incessant complaining. They again lacked water and God told him to speak to a rock and water would come. Moses was so frustrated that instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it not once but twice, rashly disobeying what God had told him to do. But by rejecting God’s authority and asserting his own authority, God declared he was no longer qualified to lead the nation into the land. It is still true—if and when we reject God’s authority, whether in our personal life or our role as a leader, we may forfeit God’s perfect purpose for us; we may miss out on God’s best for us.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
