Details
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Why do details matter?
Do details matter?
Why do we need to know more?
Is it necessary to know the “all” about everything?
What is the purpose behind knowing?
Are we to learn every detail about the subject we are facing?
Does it matter?
What’s the big deal in knowing the details?
I’m writing to share some things I have learned in life, even of late, about the importance of asking questions, to know more.
It’s often been said by many who are older and have walked the paths we are now taking, to never stop learning. Never be satisfied with the little you “hold in your hand” because there is more. Do not settle for less. Your life will be richer and so will the lives of those around you.
To give you more, we continue in this discussion about details, because details do matter.
I, by nature or nurture, have the temperament of a phlegmatic. A “9” on the Enneagram. In the animal kingdom, I would be considered a Golden Retriever. To be clear, from my weak side, details do not concern me. My personality is a bit laid back and I am more concerned with the lighter side of things. I can be more focused on being done with a project than on doing it right. Even as I write, the old flesh nature in me wants to finish this writing quickly so my wife and I can go for a walk.
This way of doing anything might score you a C or if you’re lucky, a B minus. You may be okay with that. Most are. That last statement applies to school settings, but it also applies to our choices in life and how we choose to live it. In the work place, those scores do not pay as well as an A effort does, do they? In the eyes of God, His plans for us are not to settle for second best, but instead to Reach for More. As I understand God through reading His words in the Bible, He wants us to achieve and accomplish the highest levels possible. Maybe the question could be, “Do we want what God wants for us?” That question has been one of conviction for me which has prompted me to want the more.
Excellence.
Can excellence be reached without knowing the details around anything? Can a neurosurgeon perform a successful brain surgery without knowing every detail about the physiology of the brain and the patient’s condition? What happens if he doesn’t? The results can be devastating for the patient, if not fatal. Can a fighter pilot operate and execute his mission if he doesn’t know the details of his plane, how it flies, wind conditions, air pressure, and the objective of his orders? A host of details are necessary for a successful mission to be accomplished or his lack of knowing details could cost lives and/or bring financial devastation.
A scuba instructor once told a story about some of his former students and how they almost made the mistake of their lives by not knowing the details...
In their excitement to try out their new skill and equipment, two recently graduated scuba students headed off on a diving trip to Florida. When they came to the first body of water they found, it looked to them like a good place to dive. They parked the car by the water’s edge, put on their gear and started into the water.
A young local boy walked up and asked what they were doing.
With an attitude of arrogance, they told the boy it was obvious what they were doing, going diving. The boy cautioned them that a processing plant was just up the river. Daily they released tons of food based particles into the water which drew the largest numbers of sharks in the area! These two guys had no idea what they were about to encounter because they had not asked questions about the location they were entering. They did not know the details. Luckily, the boy had come along to stop them.
The Bible speaks in Hosea 4:6, “My people perish for lack of knowledge”. Do you think it’s possible these divers could have perished by not knowing before they dove? Not asking questions could have cost them their lives.
Another importance of knowing details can provide a sense of security. Security for a nation. Security for a missionary living in a foreign country. Security for children knowing they are covered and cared for by their parents. Security for a wife in her husband, because he is paying attention to the details of their finances, the physical safety in the home or wherever they may be. Security in a relationship between two people who know that the other has their best interest in mind. That they will always be there for each other. That one will not hide from the responsibilities they are entrusted with.
Children are less likely to pay attention to details, but as they mature, the details become more important in order for them to succeed at higher levels. Adults can miss details if they do not ask enough questions to obtain the proper amount of information in order to be able to make the best decisions. The Bible speaks to this in James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask.” This scripture is speaking to Christians who do not ask God, but I believe it applies to the details of not asking. Asking is a question. The result of not asking leaves a person not knowing. If we do not know, how can we make the best decision? If we cannot make the best decision, we miss the security that comes from knowing. How can I as a husband, a father or a friend know all that is needed if I do not ask for details?
There is so much richness that comes in asking questions. Security comes from knowing the details in the small things as well as the big things.
Do details matter? Absolutely! Why do we need to know more? So that we can make the best decisions that will affect our family, our marriage, our life, for the good.
Be teachable.
Learn and never stop learning. Ask the questions and get the answers. Put more effort into the life God blessed you with and those you love will benefit by knowing the more.
Let me warn you: asking questions will show how much you do not know, but it will defeat pride in your life and increase the humility needed to live a richer life for Christ. You will not regret finding out the details.
Reach for More.
