I received an email asking a difficult question, and I didn’t know how to answer it.
That sounds reasonable. Thoughtful, even.
So, I decided to give it more time. I would think about it. Consider the wording. Make sure I understood what was being asked. I didn’t want to respond too quickly and say something I might regret.
All very responsible.
Except I knew what I wanted to say.
The problem wasn’t that I needed more time to discover my answer. The problem was that my answer might be painful for someone else to hear. And, truthfully, it might be painful for me to send it.
So I kicked the can down the road.
Funny expression. The can is still there. The road is still there. And now I have to walk farther to deal with the same can.
How do I know when I’m being thoughtful and when I’m simply procrastinating?
Taking time can be wise. Immediate reactions are not always honest reactions. Sometimes silence prevents damage. Sometimes waiting allows anger, pride, or fear to settle down.
But waiting can also become a very respectable hiding place.
I can call it discernment. I can call it patience. I can tell myself I’m being careful with another person’s feelings. Meanwhile, the email sits unanswered because I don’t want to be uncomfortable.
Maybe one test is to ask what I expect the extra time to produce.
Am I waiting for missing information? Am I allowing emotion to settle? Am I praying for wisdom because I’m genuinely unsure?
Or am I waiting because I already know what needs to be said and don’t want to pay the price of saying it?
That question bothers me.
Being thoughtful moves a decision toward honesty.
Procrastination keeps moving honesty down the road.
Shift/Insight
More time is not always more discernment. Sometimes delay is simply my fear and not really studying the situation.
Today’s Nudge
Think of one decision you’ve delayed. Ask, “What specific information am I still waiting for?” If you have no clear answer, decide what honest step you can take today.
Faith Connection
Jesus was never careless with people, but He also did not avoid truth because truth might hurt.
Discernment requires love. It also requires obedience. Sometimes the faithful response is not another day of thinking.
Sometimes it is pressing Send.