When God was handing out the gift of discernment, my wife, Barbara, was at the front of the line.
Sadly, I was a good deal further back in the line.
The first time she demonstrated her powers of discernment was at a company dinner. On the way home, Barb said, “I don’t trust Bryan. There is something off about him.” Since Bryan was a coworker, I defended him. But only a few months later, Bryan was caught misappropriating company funds to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars.
Years later, Barb’s discernment kicked in again when she cautioned me about accepting a job offer. I realized how right she was within a few months of taking the job.
These are just two examples of Barb’s discernment. Had my own gift of discernment been more finely tuned, I would have avoided several challenging situations in my life.
Wasting the discernment God gives us always leads to folly.
One character in the Bible who wasted God’s gift of discernment was Solomon.
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
Solomon started well as the new king of Israel. Recognizing the responsibility of leading the people and his own inexperience, Solomon humbly asked God for wisdom and discernment.
God, impressed with Solomon’s humble heart, granted Solomon’s request by bestowing the gift of supernatural wisdom and discernment upon him.
“…behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you” (1 Kings 3:12).
For a while, Solomon utilized God’s gifts effectively (1 Kings 3:16-10:29). His wisdom and discernment brought peace and prosperity to the Israelites and great wealth to Solomon.
Solomon’s Discernment Faulters
Solomon’s reputation as a leader spread across the known world. But, as his power and wealth grew, Solomon began to trust in himself and his own wisdom instead of God.
With all that wealth, Solomon began accumulating horses and chariots. Over time, he bought over 12,000 horses and 1,400 chariots from Egypt. However, God expressly prohibited the accumulation of horses, chariots, and trade with Egypt (Deuteronomy 17:16).
Despite God’s prohibition against marrying foreign women, Solomon married 700 women who were princesses of other countries. He had an additional 300 concubines!
Even I, with my impaired sense of discernment, know this will not end well!
God warned Solomon, these women would lead him astray, and that’s precisely what happened. Solomon built houses for his wives and allowed them to offer sacrifices to their foreign gods. Eventually, Solomon followed these foreign gods himself (1 Kings 11:1-13).
God warned Solomon twice, yet Solomon continued following other gods and rejected God. Finally, God was so angry with Solomon; God raised enemies against Solomon that eventually resulted in a civil war, splitting the Israelite nation in two.
All that wisdom and discernment were wasted when Solomon rejected God.
The Importance of Discernment
Discernment, the ability to judge well, is critical for us as leaders. Without God-given and God-centered discernment, we will not be the powerful, effective leaders God wants us to be.
Paul specifically spoke to the importance of discernment in his letter to the Romans and again in his letter to the Philippians.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).
We need discernment to know the will of God to live lives that honor God. Without discernment, we will not know the will of God, nor will we live lives that honor God. Without discernment, we rely on our wisdom, and like Solomon, make decisions apart from the will of God.
How Do We Secure Discernment?
James, the half-brother of Jesus, also stresses the importance of wisdom and discernment in the believer’s life. However, James tells us how to get the wisdom we need. He said,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
It seems simple, doesn’t it? All we need to do to get the wisdom and discernment needed to lead Godly lives is to ask God, and He has promised to give it to us!
Then, the lesson Solomon teaches us is that when we ask for God’s wisdom and discernment, we need to trust Him! Unfortunately, that’s how Solomon wasted God’s gift of wisdom and discernment; he trusted in his own wisdom rather than God’s!
To be the powerful, effective leaders we need to be, we need to ask God for His wisdom and discernment, and, then, we need to trust and follow God completely!
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s character. You can find them by typing “Character” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #442: What We Do Matters. Who We Are Matters More!
- #440: If You Are Green with Envy, You Are Ripe for Trouble!
- #435: How Do Good Leaders Exercise Their Authority in The Service of Others?
- #429: True Leadership Requires More Than Competency and Skill
- #416: 7 Must-Have Skills of Highly Effective Godly Leaders
- #403: Is America On the Same Destructive Path as Babylon?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Are there times when you failed to discern the best path in your life? How about a time when your discernment saved you from making a big mistake?
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Category: Personal Development | Character
The guiding question “What would Jesus do?” may sound like a cliche to some people, but if we are truly seeking God’s discernment, it’s a great question to start with.
“What would Jesus do?” may be viewed as cliche by some, but asking that question with an open heart and then listening, really listening, to the answer is as James says, the beginning of wisdom!