When you’re asked to do something that seems impossible, start by refusing to panic and by getting all the facts. Then, you need to ask for more time.

Why? Because your biggest temptation in the middle of a crisis is to be impulsive. You’re typically not thinking rationally. You’re thinking emotionally. You may be tempted to make a quick decision.

But quickness is not the most important thing. You may want to get it over with and make a fast decision, because that seems easier at the time. But that doesn’t mean it will be a good decision. It takes nothing at all to make a quick choice. It takes a lot of wisdom to make the right one.

A wrong decision is wrong, no matter how quickly you make it. So step back, take a deep breath, calm down, and talk to God.

Daniel did this when the king asked him to interpret a dream, just after the king ordered the killing of the first few people who tried but failed to explain what it meant: “Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant” (Daniel 2:16 NLT).

Daniel gives us a great model for dealing with a high-pressure situation: He asked for more time and then talked to God about it.

Before you do anything else, get God’s perspective on the issue. “A man is a fool to trust himself! But those who use God’s wisdom are safe” (Proverbs 28:26 TLB).

You’re more likely to make a better decision when you don’t rush yourself into making a quick decision. Don’t let the world convince you that you have to keep up a frantic pace—especially when the stakes are high. You don’t always have to make a quick decision.

It’s more important to make the right decision. And to make the right decision, you need God’s wisdom. You’ll get wisdom from God when you ask him for it and spend time with him and in his Word.

Remember, take your time because “haste makes mistakes” (Proverbs 19:2 NLT).