Discerning Yellow Lights

One of my favorite tv shows is Taxi probably because I remember watching reruns with my father and enjoyed seeing him laugh. It is a well written show. One episode features Jim Ignatowski taking a drivers test. While taking the test, he asks the other cabbies for help with a question, “What does a yellow light mean?” They answer, “Slow down.” So he says “Whaaat doooes a yellooow liiight mean?” 

Yellow lights need interpretation. They don’t always mean slow down to a stop. Sometimes the better decision is to keep going or even hit the gas pedal - if that was your first instinct. If slowing down requires a hard break, that can be more dangerous as the cars behind you might be planning to go through the light. It can be jarring to pump the breaks. After all the purpose of driving is to move and keep traffic flowing. So... sometimes when you come to a yellow light you should slow down to a stop and other times you should hit the gas and get going.

We can do a disservice to our team and our parish if every time we hit a yellow light we hit the breaks and come to a full stop. It can make the experience of driving with us quite jarring. If we have built up momentum on a project and the team is moving full speed and geared up to go, telling them to stop could be demoralizing.

The reality is, that every project or effort to advance the parish will hit a yellow light at some point. Very few paths forward are met without resistance or caution.

Try doing a message series... and someone on the team will be against it. Insist on going deeper in small groups... and someone will throw up the caution that you are stirring up hurts and pains in people that we shouldn’t touch.

There is always some reason that can be given to not move in a new direction.  Yet - the yellow light does not necessarily mean you should slow down to a stop. It’s been said that if you’re 80 percent certain of a course of action - then you should go forward. 

We can see examples in Scripture:

• In Acts 21, Paul gets a yellow light on his plans to go to Jerusalem. The prophet Agabus tells him he will be bound and tied up. It doesn’t stop Paul though, who is convinced it is God's plan.
• In the book of Nehemiah, he hits the yellow light of criticism. His enemy starts making up accusations about why they are rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem. It’s a big temptation to stop the momentum. Instead, Nehemiah asks why should the work stop? He goes on to say, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”

 At the same time, if we always hit the gas pedal to go through a yellow light, that’s probably not good either.

When we were in our planning for a new building about 12 years ago, we explored every option, including moving to another property. We had concluded to stay put and were in the beginning stages of planning our capital campaign. But then a property came up for sale that we thought we should explore. It slowed us down as we examined the possibility. Eventually we determined it wasn’t a fit. We came back to our property at 20 East Ridgely road with a renewed appreciation for it. The extra time also helped us better prepare for the campaign; time - that in hindsight - we needed. The other property was a yellow light from God that slowed us down and put us in God’s timing.

So what does a yellow light mean? It depends. Sometimes it means hit the gas and sometimes it means hit the breaks.

Here are some thoughts on discernment:

• Determine your speed and distance. 
  
  If you have great momentum and are moving at a high speed, chances are you should go through the yellow light. Likewise, if you are close to the intersection - or close to the goal - then see it through. The yellow is probably a distraction.  
  
  If far from the goal, then pay attention to the yellow and slow down. It doesn’t mean you won’t go forward eventually but it will set you up for future success as you learn.

• Pay attention to multiple yellow lights.
  
  Here’s where the analogy breaks down. While driving you get only one light, but if in a leadership decision you are seeing multiple yellow lights, that is telling you to slow down. Again, it does not mean you will not go forward eventually, but there is a reason so many cautions are coming up and it is time to pay attention

• Listen to the inner voice.
  
  Is it fear that’s making you want to stop? You fear criticism or failure. Then you should probably go.
  
  Is it fear that means you don’t want to slow down? You fear that there might be more information that will change your mind or change your direction. Then you probably need to slow down.
  
  Whether you tend to speed up or slow down at yellow lights fear can lead us to misread the signals we are being given by God. Know how it acts in your life and then choose to listen to the voice of the Lord who calls you to be both courageous and wise.

• Listen to the Lord.
  
  When Peter wasn’t sure if he should get out of the boat or not, he asked the Lord. All the thoughts above are meant to help you hear the voice of the Lord and what he is saying about the yellow light.

Rooting for you,
Tom