"Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant" (Daniel 2:16 NLT).
When you're asked to do something that's impossible, you start by refusing to panic and by asking why. Yesterday's devotional went over that.
But then you ask for more time.
Why? Your biggest temptation in the midst of crisis is to be impulsive. You're typically not thinking rationally. You're thinking emotionally. You want to make a quick decision.
But it's more important to make the right decision than a fast decision.
A wrong decision is wrong no matter how quickly you make it.
So step back, take a deep breath, calm down, and talk to God.
Daniel did this when the king asked him to interpret a dream (after ordering the killing of the first few people who tried).
The Bible says, "Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant" (Daniel 2:16 NLT).
I don't know if I could have done this as a teenager. Daniel went immediately to this powerful king and asked for more time.
Daniel didn't procrastinate, but he didn't make a rash decision either. He gives us a great model for dealing with a high-pressure situation.
Talk It Over
- Have you ever acted rashly when asked to do something really tough? How did that work out?
- Why is it so easy to procrastinate when you're in a tough situation?
- Who in your life needs to be reminded that taking your time in tough situations is important?
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church. His book, The Purpose Driven Church, was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also founder of pastors.com, a global internet community for pastors.
This article originally appeared at pastorrick.com.
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