Learning to Challenge Your Assumptions [Real Estate Dev #170]
Listen to today's devotional:
Scripture
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” — Proverbs 12:15
Devotional
Every development model contains assumptions.
So does every developer.
You carry assumptions about markets, tenants, municipalities, contractors, partners, financing, and your own abilities.
Some are accurate.
Others may be outdated, incomplete, or simply wrong.
The danger is that assumptions often feel like facts because we have believed them for so long.
Wisdom therefore requires intellectual humility.
Invite people to challenge the underwriting.
Ask someone to argue against the acquisition.
Run downside scenarios you hope never occur.
Listen seriously to people whose conclusions differ from yours.
Most importantly, examine your own motives. Sometimes we defend an assumption because changing it would threaten the outcome we want.
Truth must matter more than the deal.
Scripture warns against becoming convinced of our own correctness.
Wise leaders create environments where disagreement is safe and questions are welcomed.
You do not need a team that always agrees with you.
You need people committed enough to the mission—and to you—to say, “I think we may be wrong.”
That sentence may save a project.
Reflection Questions
• Which assumptions am I least willing to have challenged?
• Does my team feel free to disagree with me?
• Where could desire for a particular outcome be affecting my objectivity?
Action Step
Ask someone you trust to challenge one important assumption underlying a current project.
Prayer
Father, protect me from becoming wise in my own eyes. Give me humility to question my assumptions, receive correction, and choose truth over the comfort of being right. Amen.
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This devotional is designed to encourage you as you live out your faith in the workplace. It works best when paired with regular time in Scripture, prayer, and worship—the rhythms through which we grow to know Christ more deeply and become more like Him.
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