Who Me? Couldn't Be!

Whew! I just recognized something that an uncle of mine had been trying to get me to see over 25 years ago and I absolutely resisted it and was even offended by his charge: He called me gullible!


I didn't think I was gullible. That was the same as calling me stupid.  If I had just taken the time to look up the word maybe I would have been able to understand what he was trying to get across to me. Well, today I did look up the word and Lord have mercy, the light bulb of knowledge came on. Here's what I found…

A gullible person would be someone who is:

• Naive and easily deceived or tricked because of being too trusting

• Tendency to believe too readily and therefore to be easily deceived, fooled, duped, or cheated

• The quality of readily believing information, truthful or otherwise, usually to an absurd extent

I had to take a deep breath and acknowledge that, yes, I have been gullible and a big part of how I kept falling into that same gullible trap was because I thought I was smart enough to know some things and didn't have to ask the advice of others. When I was ready to make a decision I didn't want to prolong the process by asking other people what they thought; especially if I had already thought long and hard on the matter and had come to my own conclusions and was ready to act upon them. I figured to talk to anyone at that point was simply opening a door for them to try to get me to change my mind. In fact, I viewed others, who seem to need the input of others before making decisions, as weak. But oh my goodness, I have learned the error of my ways!

The bible says that in the multitude of counselors, there is wisdom. I am finding thatby inviting the perspective of others,  I 'm paving the way for an informed decision that has been viewed from various angles. When I make a decision this way I know that the pros and cons, effort and impact, motive and end results will be addressed in a more thorough fashion than I could do alone.

So what do I do with this new found revelation? Apply it to my life as I go forward!
It doesn’t mean I become this super paranoid person who suspiciously eyes everything and everyone for ulterior motives but it does mean to "slow my roll" at times and seek first the counsel of God's Word and then the input of individuals I trust and have my best interests at heart. You know, depending on the situation, I might just ask a total stranger for feedback on something just to get a truly objective response. What I won't continue to do is make important decisions in isolation. Hmmm... What do you think?