I found this article “10 ways we get the odds wrong.” It so perfect states how we focus on the wrong things. I think one of the main reasons that we focus on the wrong things is because we have to much information.
Based on what is going on in the world or in our political scene determines where we get a summer talking about what politician will make the worse president, or global warming will destroy our planet by 2020, or if 2.4 million people will be killed by man eating sharks.
I think that many times church leaders don’t do things that they have never done because they are receiving wrong information. If you do that this will happen….
Fear is a very real and very powerful thing. I think that many times church leaders can motivate people with fear, which holds people back from doing what God has. Fear of failure, fear of losing, fear of not accomplishing.
As church leaders and Christ followers we need to have God’s perspective. We need to fear the right things and revere the right things.
Is our fear of risk real or produced by the environment we have created?
Below is a quiz they included in the article for the answers click on the link below the questions.
Mortal Threats
How good is your grasp of risk?
1. What’s more common in the United States, (a) suicide or (b) homicide?
2. What’s the more frequent cause of death in the United States, (a) pool drowning or (b) falling out of bed?
3. What are the top five causes of accidental death in America, following motor-vehicle accidents, and which is the biggest one?
4. Of the top two causes of nonaccidental death in America, (a) cancer and (b) heart disease, which kills more women?
5. What are the next three causes of nonaccidental death in the United States?
6. Which has killed more Americans, bird flu or mad cow disease?
7. How many Americans die from AIDS every year, (a) 12,995, (b) 129,950, or (c) 1,299,500?
8. How many Americans die from diabetes every year? (a) 72,820, (b) 728,200, or (c) 7,282,000?
9. Which kills more Americans, (a) appendicitis or (b) salmonella?
10. Which kills more Americans, (a) pregnancy and childbirth or (b) malnutrition?
Incredible post. Thanks for sharing that article and your thoughts on it.
I was afraid to check to see the answer for number ten. Very comforting right now.
Hannah
Global warming is going to destroy the world by 2020? Crud!
I saw a list several years ago naming the top 100 leading causes of death. It was very enlightening… we do get it all wrong sometimes.
You made a very good point. The lack of accurate information also can cause severe tactical mistakes as well. As in the article, 1000 people died in auto accidents in the holidays after 9/11 because they assumed driving was safer than flying. What a horrible assumption. Too often I’ve sat in staff meetings where tactical decisions were being made where no one was asking “why.” What makes us think that making this decision will produce different results? Has anyone asked anyone on the ground why things happened the way they did? Has anyone read information or asked anyone else in the industry if this course of action is actually working? I do like to make quick decisions and I hate dragging things out, but nothing frustrates me more than quick decisions made by people far removed from the effects of the decision who base the decision on assumptions or no solid facts.
Thanks for the article!