Risk It! Explain

Explain

Romans 14:11: For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12: So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13: Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way

 A winner. explains; a loser explains away

Early in life I found it profitable to have solutions.  Managers, directors, executives all seemed to be unconcerned with my problems and mistakes.   What they wanted was solutions.  Explain the problems and offer a solution.  It really did not make a difference whether I caused the problem or not.  A winner goes for the solution not the excuse.

God is the same way.  He really is not so much interested in punishing us.  He is interested in our growth.

This trait of offering honest explanations with solutions is called faithfulness.  When we trust a person, we are honest.  When we value their opinion in the long term, we are honest.  Being that way adds up to being loyal and faithful and it is so returned.

In the computer industry of big systems, there are sometimes some real messes.  Blaming it on the computer never flies.  It always seems profitable to simply tell people, “We are researching the problem and will get back with you.”  and then do it.

A certain hospital had a horrible reputation.  Systems crashed daily, sometimes 3 times a day.  Nurses screamed.  Doctors threatened to throw equipment out the window.  One doctor would come in the computer room and bang on the equipment.  When the system went down, all the technicians took off their badges and hid from the hospital staff.

As a new manager, Newbie was perplexed.  How do you handle this mess?  First, he instructed his technicians to get their badges back on and get into the hallways.  Take the heat.  Own up to the problems and offer assistance.  Next, he called all the head nurses and gave them an estimate of when they could expect systems so they could go back to work.  Then he called the chief technicians and wanted answers.  Real answers.  When it was all over he would update the executives to the causes.

It was tough.  The reputation of the department was horrid. Over time the nurses began to trust the reports.  Even when it was bad news, it was trustworthy news.  Systems started getting fixed and executives agreed to spend the right monies to fix the problems.  Everyone turned out winners.  Eventually the systems that were only up 50% of the time were up 98% of the time.  Winners explain.

I Corinthians 4:1: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2: Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

A story is told about Thomas Watson, then chief of IBM.  Seems an executive spent a few  million dollars on a project that was a total failure.  He went in to Watson thinking he would be terminated.  Watson looked and him and assured him that he was not about to loose the millions he had invested in the man’s training.

What if he had offered excuses and blamed others?  What if he had not been honest with his mistakes.

Adam had that type opportunity.  He blamed Eve.  What if he had just told God he miffed it and needed forgiveness?

David, king of Israel, committed murder, adultery, and things we don’t even know about.  But when it came time to face it, he was honest and simply explained.  God forgave and restored him each time.  David wasn’t perfect, he just would not try and explain away.

Heb:13:17: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

This principle applies in all areas.  We all make mistakes.  We all have failures.  (Failure is an event, not a person.)  We all are required to show faithfulness and loyalty by being honest and helping those around us deal with the situation.  They need the full scoop so they can work out any side issues, not so they can punish or dig it in.

Take Inventory

Do you have problem that needs fixing?  Can you explain?  Will you explain?

How can you get past the fear of failure through honest explanations?

Make Application

Write what you are going to specifically do in the next 30 days about this.

 

  

 

Pray To Be Honest In Explanation

Father, open my eyes.  Let me see any hindrances to winning with Jesus.  So many times in life lessons go unlearned when I don’t hear Your voice.  Speak clearly, Lord.  Let me hear and act speedily.  Open my heart, Father, to give real, honest explanations so I can stay on the road to winning.