Duress

I “try” to never make important “long term” decisions at times when I am experiencing extreme duress. Admittedly I am not always successful.
People including me have a tendency to overreact when stressed and often “rush” to make the wrong decision based on emotion rather than calm and deliberate logic and objective consideration of “all” the facts. While short term decisions have to be made in order to steer oneself out of turmoil, long term solutions are rarely properly addressed when under the “gun”. I try my best to restrain my initial “knee jerk” reactions and deliberately try to position myself whereby I have time to calm down and think a situation completely through, looking at it from all angles, before making decisions that have far reaching implications.

This all sounds good, but during the height of a battle and “all Hell has broken loose” it is extremely hard to do. The Bible teaches that if we faint in the day of adversity, our strength is small. Just as sure as a North wind brings rain, one thing for sure we will face adversity in this earthly life. In order to deal with it, we must be stronger than our fleshly bodies are capable, and therefore we must team up with God in order to be successful. Teaming up with God means we will need to be slow to anger and we must keep in mind that a man (or woman) of wrath is not representative of how God expects us to react to adversity. Yes it is hard, but take a deep breath, (sometimes I feel like I am hyperventilating I have to take so many deep breaths), but try to keep your composure. Remember the Bible warns us that “A fool vents all of his feelings, but a wise man holds them back”. Think before you act and say too much. Force yourself to wait hours or as I sometimes do, “days” before finally deciding on the long term course of action.

Remember, once the whirlwind has passed, and the sun has come back out again, it is much easier to make careful and rational decisions.
Therefore if at all possible delay long-term far-reaching decisions until the storm has passed and the sun has come back out. Always pray to God for guidance and try to treat others as you would like to be treated, realizing there are always, (and must be) consequences to every action and reaction but they must be fairly administered in a calm and effective manner…I try to be fair, friendly, and firm and it is a lot easier to do when I am not hopping mad and frankly impossible if I am madder than a hornet. Get the facts, listen to all sides of the story, and delay your decision until the storm has passed, the stress is under control, and rationality has replaced rage. Easy to say, but hard to do; yet absolutely essential in order to make the right decisions when under duress.


Proverbs 15:2

The tongue of the wise uses
knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours
forth foolishness.