Impulsive Vows!

Into the Word

An impulsive vow is a trap; later you’ll wish you could get out of it. (Proverbs 20:25)

As leaders and entrepreneurs, most of us thrive on ‘deciding and doing’. We’re good at it, and seeing things get done energizes us. To a point . . .

I’ve seen many leaders give up, fail, or burn out because they have said “Yes” too early and too often. It’s a trap the enemy lays for me all the time. It’s so important that we take a step back and assess the options before we jump in.

This is what Solomon is trying to get across to us on Prov 20:25. Doing stuff is in our ‘Functional DNA’, but like any good thing, too much of it can cause issues.

In his Weekly Journal ‘The Word before Work’, Jordan Raynor shares some excellent advice regarding this issue.

“You and I need practical ways to avoid the trap of saying “yes” too quickly and flippantly. Here are four practices that typically work for me.

#1: Delay every “yes” by at least 24 hours.

It is really hard to say “no” if you feel pressured to give an answer to a request for your time the moment you’re asked. So, the next time you’re asked to dedicate your time to something, do whatever you can to delay responding for at least a day. Buy yourself some time by saying, “Let me sleep on it,” “Let me check with my spouse,” or “Let me check my calendar and current commitments and get back to you.”

#2: Assume the commitment will take 50% more time than you expect.

It is human nature to underestimate how much time a new commitment will take, both in hours spent on the core task and what Cal Newport calls the “overhead tax” of saying “yes” (unexpectedly long email threads related to the commitment, meetings associated with the project, etc.). So, before you agree to take something new on, assume the commitment will take 50% longer than you think.

#3: Seek out godly counsel before saying “yes” to something that exceeds a certain time threshold.

If I’m considering dedicating more than 25 hours to something, you better believe I’m going to ask some Christian friends for wisdom before I say “yes.” Why? Because “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).

#4: Remember that saying “no” is oftentimes the most loving thing you can do.

Contrary to our caricature of Jesus as a nice guy who always said “yes,” sometimes Jesus said “no” out of love (see Mark 1:35-38). We must do the same. When you “dedicate something rashly and only later” consider what you signed up for, you’re not going to be able to give your “yes” your all. Which means you’re likely to do harm to yourself and those you promised to serve.

Whatever decision you’re facing today, ask the Lord for his grace in helping you avoid the “trap” of saying “yes” too quickly.