When Problems Come.

Well, what a week! I say that with some sarcasm. Honestly I have encountered a couple of the biggest problems I’ve seen in a long time. We’re not just talking tough decisions, I mean serious life changers here. However, in the middle of all this I got to thinking about how our church staff and my wife and I have handled these situations in stride. I’m not stressed about this stuff. I know God has a definite answer in store.

All that aside I think the reason I’m not stressing about this stuff is the way we handled each situation as it came up. Here are the 3 keys I think made this processes seamless and smooth.

1. Don’t make decisions in an emotional state.

When the biggies hit, it’s far to often we fly off the handle and react in the heat of the moment. No one wins in this scenario people just get hurt.

2. Talk through the problem.

The Bible says there’s wisdom in the counsel of many. Quick decisions made on a whim are rarely the right ones. When you slow down and talk through a situation you gain perspective. I recently needed to make a discipline decision but didn’t have anyone handy to talk through it with, but I didn’t skip this important step. I talked through it with my self. I stated the problem, in this case a bad behavior, and talked “under my breath” through the best way to handle the problem. By allowing my self the time to “talk my self through it” I was able to come up with an optimal solution that was a win-win for all involved.

3. Make a plan of action.

No problem is ever solved until you correct the wrong. This last step is the sum total of the previous two steps. The thing to keep in mind when making a plan of action is the steps need to be clear, with a clear outcome. You don’t want to leave problem solving steps open ended. Open ended step may cause your problem to compound and you’ll find yourself in a bigger problem. So define what you will do and what you want that action to accomplish. That way if your actions don’t achieve the desired outcome you can alter the plan not repeating the same mistake.

I’ll leave you with this valuable quote:

“You are defined by the problems you solve!”

Discuss: