The Temptation of Presumption

Presuming is the art of painting expectations with the brush of ignorance, often leading to the canvas of misunderstanding.

In our business lives it strikes me that we put God to the test all the time. We put God to the test often by taking the next step that others, and often us, presume are the natural steps in the progression of our careers. For instance, it is common for a strong salesperson to be promoted into sales management, and perhaps this additional title and salary is tempting to us, but the question for both the business and the employee is where does this person most fit their own skills and contribution to the company and to the community. If our goals take us out of alignment with our natural abilities, we are in essence testing God’s sovereignty. Looking back, we often see the misfortunes of taking a step that we are either not prepared for or most likely not in alignment with our talents and skills.

For the salespeople reading this, now is a good time to take a deep breath and broaden your thinking. What was not said is that salespeople cannot make good sales managers; the challenge is that we should not presume that they will. When examining the skills for effective sales, a myriad of skills separates the mediocre from the excellent. These are items such as empathy, resilience, adaptability, and expertise. Conversely, sales management requires different skills such as strategic planning, coaching, performance management, and resource allocation.

Both roles have huge implications on the success of an organization and when decisions are made without all of the contributing factors being considered it can be like a can of gas and a match. So why does this happen? Presumptions are made off of past performance instead of future requirements.

Examining what Jesus was confronted with in the wilderness emphasizes this point even further. The evil one was trying to get Jesus to take reckless steps and act with presumption instead of faith. Thankfully, Jesus shows us that there is a stark difference between the two, and discerning between faith and folly can be a slippery slope.

Jesus, being the Son of God, had the ability, if He so chose, to throw Himself down and be safe the entire time. Yet He demonstrated that His obedience to the Word of God was far superior to any presumption the evil one was trying to plant. His solid footing allowed Him to refute the lies, and instead of falling into the temptation of presumption, He chose to follow the path of Truth.

As we navigate the steps of life it is important to have our eyes open and alert at all times and before presuming to take any action it behooves us to slow down, pray for discernment, and seek the peace that passes every situation as we move forward in lock step with what God desires for our walk.

Questions to Consider

1. Reflect on a time when presuming something in your professional or personal life led to a misunderstanding or error. How could the outcome have been different with more careful consideration or discernment?
2. Considering the differences between faith and presumption that Jesus highlighted, how can individuals better discern between taking a leap of faith and making a presumptive mistake in their career or personal choices?