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moment of the maybe

During today’s Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Adam Hamilton talked about the “moment of the maybe.”  That’s the moment of temptation when your mind begins to think “What if I did …”  Or, “maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”

We never ask ourselves, “How will this end?” because we’re not thinking down the road; we’re stuck in the moment of the maybe.  And the moment of the maybe often seems quite good.

  • We speak and the other person listens.
  • We tell a joke and the other person laughs.
  • They like us.
  • They tell us we’re funny.
  • They tell us we’re understanding.

When you find yourself in having a moment of the maybe, what do you do?  RUN AWAY!

There is nothing good to be gained from entertaining the “what if” questions.  The longer we linger, the more likely we are to move from maybe to a yes.

Instead of asking “what if” questions, we should ask questions like:

  • Would I want my spouse or children to know this?
  • Would I want my church to know this?
  • Will I feel proud of what I’ve done?
  • Will this have a happy ending?

Hamilton referenced an old blues number, part of which goes:

Don’t let the Devil ride
Oh don’t let the devil ride
‘Cause if you let him ride
He’ll want to try to drive
Don’t let him ride

If you stay too long in the moment of the maybe, you may find yourself handing the wheel over to a different driver.