The Silver Bullet: it’s the one thing guaranteed to fix whatever problem you’re experiencing. We’re all looking for one from time to time. You might be looking for one right now.
A few years ago, when I was the senior leader for Human Resources in our organization, turnover was rising. It impacted our business in many areas: customer service, overtime costs, agency costs, and….
It was a long list.
A wage analysis showed that we were behind the market in pay, so our leadership team discussed the need and the cost to increase salaries.
It became a left-brained conversation—very logical—for an issue that wasn’t simple. Wages were one item on a long list of factors that were influencing turnover, but the focus seemed to be on this one thing. Yet our leadership wanted to know if this was the Silver Bullet for our turnover. They kept asking:
- Will this fix everything?
- How much will turnover be reduced after we spend this money?
- How soon will turnover go down?
They were analyzing the topic to death!
The conversation reminded me of a verse from scripture: If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done (Ecclesiastes 11:4, TLB). The more we fixated on trying to find the perfect solution, the less chance we had of getting it solved.
We seek the Silver Bullet in many aspects of our lives, searching for the perfect solution to ensure our happiness. Perhaps we think we’ll be happy if we:
- Make more money.
- Are finally able to have a child.
- Are awarded that new position.
- Can reduce our family debt.
What’s on your personal Silver Bullet list?
If we’re honest, we’ve all fallen into this trap way too many times. Looking past all the good we’re experiencing today, we think life will be better when that one thing—that Silver Bullet—will fix it all.
It doesn’t make sense to base our happiness on something so simple. Think about it:
- If I make more money, I’ll spend more.
- If I get a new position, what happens if it doesn’t turn out as I thought?
- What happens if I lose this new job I based all my happiness on?
Stop trying to fix issues in your work or personal life with just one thing. I suggest you do the following:
- Pray and seek God’s wisdom and direction. You can’t make a quality decision without God’s help.
- After wrestling with the options available to you, move forward in faith. Don’t over-analyze. God wants us to be purposefully active.
- Be patient. Some things take time, and it’s hard to wait. Remember, we only control the steps we take. The results are up to God and His timing.
- Be willing to re-assess your direction. After some time, go through the process again. Seek God’s wisdom and look at all options. You may find it’s time for a new direction. Or you may believe you’re on the right path but need to be prepare for the long haul.
Always remember: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9).
