Cut Your Losses

There have been times when I bought something that I thought would really be helpful and work well for me only to find out that I had made a mistake. I really hate to loose money. I like to be wise and prudent prior to spending it, but there are times when a mistake is made. This not really a super example, but I once purchased a table top gas grill off of a TV infomercial. I purchased it to take camping because it was compact yet folded out and it even had a light! I now laugh at all infomercials. This was the biggest rip off. The marketing crews made this grill look amazing. When it arrived, it was small and very cheaply made. I think I may have used it once or twice – it was a piece of junk. I threw it away and chalked that up to a lesson learned.

King Amaziah was gathering his troops up to prepare for war against Seir and Edom. He decided to rent/hire a 100,000 troops from Israel to help fight. He paid the king of Israel 3 ¾ tons of silver for these troops. This was a huge mistake. Check this out…

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.” (2 Chronicles 25:7-9 NIV)

I think I would have asked the same question that the king asked. I think his first mistake was not asking the Lord before doing the deal. Every day in my business, I see people cut their losses. I remember when banks in our area were struggling and the bank stock value plummeted. There were still people who believed it would come back and were still buying. Some of the people who should have sold their stock at a reduced rate wishes they would have cut their losses and got at least something out of it. Instead many rode it all the way to zero.

I’ve determined that my pride will fight me when I’m ready to cut my losses. It is often humiliating to loose. It is humiliating to make a bad decision and have to admit it. I think there are times it is completely necessary. It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake and own it.

I’m learning to pray about everything and worry about nothing. I certainly don’t listen all the time to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, but my hearing is improving! I believe that talking to the Lord prior to a decision will give me insight that I didn’t have. He will lead me when I listen to Him. I haven’t had to “cut my losses” nearly as much since I’ve been seeking His council.

Pressing On!

Dwayne