The Brett Favre Syndrome

Bret Favre has had a hard time making up his mind. In 2008, he decided to retire from football after a great career with the Green Bay Packers. But then he changed his mind and signed with the New York Jets. At the end of the season last year, he announced that he was retiring from football again. But then he had second thoughts. A few weeks ago he signed with the Minnesota Vikings and is now their starting quarterback.

So many people have said so much about Favre’s indecisiveness that he has decided to capitalize on it. He appears in a Sears commercial in which a Sears salesman is trying to sell him a new Samsung TV. The salesman tells about some people coming in to by a television who waffle about whether to buy or not. Favre says, “Yeah, those guys drive me crazy. I’ll take it.” The camera then zooms in on Favre, and he is evidently reconsidering his decision to buy the TV. He is saying, “I don’t know . . .”

Of course Favre is not the only person to have second thoughts. In fact, there is a term for it in the sales business. After people have bought a big-ticket item, they often develop what is called “buyer’s remorse.” They regret making the decision to purchase the item.

Making decisions is not easy, but making decisions is necessary. We live in a world where we face many choices. Some of these are small and some of them are large. We are compelled to make decisions.

The late John Claypool said that when he was confronted with making a decision, he passed the decision through the net of these three questions: 1) The limits question—Given the amount of energy I possess, what can I accomplish? 2) The gifts question—Is this in line with the spiritual gifts that I possess? 3) The obedience question—What does God want me to do?

I have often used another list. In considering a decision, I try to write down all the reasons that I should do the thing in question. Next, I write down all the reasons that I should not do it. Then I evaluate the decision in light of these positives and negatives.

Jesus once encountered a man who evidently couldn’t make up his mind about whether to follow Him. The man said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:61-62). A decisive decision is demanded.

A cartoon showed an old man with a walker tottering out of a nursing home. The sign on the nursing home read, “Home for Retired Quarterbacks.” One of the old men on the porch was saying to a guy next to him, “It’s Brett Favre. He’s changed his mind again.”

In life’s greatest decision, don’t change your mind. Make a commitment to Christ. Put your hand to plow and do not look back!