Put 5 monkeys in a cage with stairs leading to a banana on the ceiling. Each time a monkey tries to climb the stairs spray the other four with cold water. Soon the monkeys will attack any monkey who tries to climb the stairs.
Now you can stop spraying the monkeys and they will still keep each other from the banana. Eventually, if one of the monkeys is replaced with a new monkey he’ll try for the banana but will be attacked even though there is no spray. Continue replacing monkeys one by one until each of the five original monkeys are gone and none of the monkeys have ever been sprayed. Still the monkeys will attack anyone who tries to get the banana. Why? Because, “That’s the way it’s always been done around here.”
Unfortunately, that’s how policy in many companies and churches often develops. Much time is wasted when policy is not periodically reexamined. Remember, taking time to establish relevant, well thought out, biblically sound policy will redeem the time.
Rick Grubbs is best known as the host of “Redeeming the Time,” a one-minute radio program featured on hundreds of radio outlets around the world. He has spoken thousands of times on Biblical time management in all 50 states and 26 other countries. He is the author of the book “Morning Momentum: God’s plan for launching an unstoppable day”. He and his wife Carrie live in Salisbury NC with several of their 12 children.
