When Everyone Says It’s Wrong

One of the things I hate about leadership is that when I make a risky decision everybody analyzes me. They would have my neck if I didn’t make a decision, but they still do when I make one they don’t like.

The reality is this happens not only to leaders who are in position of responsibility for others, but also to any influencer who seeks to add value to the world.

Sometimes a man feels in his heart to do something he doesn’t necessarily know whether is of God or his own ambition. And if he actually does it, many will debate whether it was right or wrong.

When a man communes with God he will have passions laid on his heart that feel an awfully lot like personal ambition, but is indeed from God.

And when he feels that prompting, burden, passion—whatever you want to call it—he must do something about it even if it’s not going to be a popular move.

I think of Ken Miller who got involved in helping a mother protect her child even when it meant doing something “illegal,” landing him in prison. Everyone quickly debates whether he acted rightly or if he should have tried to work within the court system. At Ken’s expense, many have spent their breath figuring out what would have been better for him to do. Was Ken right? Was he wrong? Do we really need to know? He was so convinced it was what God would want that he risked his freedom. Shouldn’t that say something?

Then there’s my friend Steve who is a bit of a modern-day prophet, often saying things that make people feel uncomfortable. He recently shared on Facebook an answer to prayer of ten “righteous men,” he called them, telling Hurricane Matthew where its boundaries were. His post received hundreds of comments, many making him out to be kin to the devil calling him a false prophet and trouble maker. Kind of reminds me of another person who was called a “trouble maker.”

Is he wrong? Should he just quit saying things that feel impressed on him from Above? Or is he right? Does it even matter?

I think we often feel the need to analyze what people do because analyzing gives us the weird illusion that we’re doing something profitable.

We think we are adding value to the world when in fact we’re threatening to destroy the value others are attempting to add.

This kind of debating whether something is right or wrong is nothing but insecurity. In the case of Ken Miller, the insecurity comes from not doing as equally meaningful work with our lives. When it comes to my friend’s answer to prayer, we’re insecure with the fact that God would let poor Haitians suffer and answer the prayers of those who could have afforded rebuilding their home. We’re angry at an “unjust” God.

Have you ever had to make a decision you knew people wouldn’t like? Don’t settle for what’s popular. Don’t settle for the manipulation of “brothers,” whether they be on the right or the left. Respond in love to those who disagree, pursuing them in peace. But ultimately, do what is right before God in response to His gracious love for you.

We need more Kens who do something to help instead of deliberate about what is best. We need more Steves who courageously point out God at work instead of complaining about how things could be better.

We don’t need people trying to do things perfectly, we just need people trying to follow God with all their hearts.

Is it better to make a mistake trying to do what is right, or to wait until you know you won’t make a mistake? Share your thoughts in the here.