Every man and woman in a leadership position needs to take a hard look in the mirror. If you are not a discerning leader, you need to step down and make room for someone who is!
Sorry to be so blunt and dogmatic, but look around. Weak-kneed leaders surround us in government, business, and even our churches. Their lack of discernment is causing our society to rot from the core and will eventually lead to society’s collapse.
Consider these recent examples:
- Numerous political leaders referred to the riots that destroyed billions of dollars of personal property in 2020 as “innocent people protesting.”
- In San Francisco, drug addicts wander the streets leaving their used needles and human waste on the sidewalks while politically correct, “tolerant” politicians defund the police.
- Men who deny their God-given sex by claiming to be women compete in women’s sports under the banner of “inclusiveness.”
- Pastors, rejecting the clear Word of God, preach tolerance of aberrant behavior, suggesting no condemnation exists in Scripture.
I could go on and on with examples of leaders exhibiting a lack of discernment, but I think you get the idea.
Our society is at a tipping point. If we do not insist on more discerning leaders, we will lose our society in the next generation.
What Does It Mean to Be Discerning?
The word discerning comes from an old French word meaning to “distinguish between, or to separate by sifting.”
Today, we define discernment as “someone having good or outstanding judgment and understanding.” Another common definition for discernment is “having or revealing keen insight and good judgment.”
So, discerning people can distinguish between good and bad; they have keen insights and good judgment.
The Biblical Call for Discernment
Both the Old and New Testaments call for us to be discerning.
The Hebrew word for discernment is bin.
It is used hundreds of times and is usually translated as “discernment,” “skill,” “understanding,” or “carefulness.”
The Greek word for discernment is diakrinō. It means “to make a distinction,” “to separate thoroughly,” “discern,” or “judge.”
It is clear from the scriptural account that God expects leaders to be discerning. He commends and rewards discerning leaders and admonishes those who are not.
If God expects you and I to be discerning, it begs the question, how? How can I be discerning?
How Can I Be Discerning?
In his book, Reckless Faith, author John MacArthur turns to a passage from the apostle Paul who provided instructions to the Thessalonians for living Godly, discerning lives. Paul wrote:
“Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
Here we have three direct commands:
- Examine everything carefully,
- Hold fast to that which is good, and
- Abstain from every form of evil.
Taken together, these three commands provide the framework for us to follow in our quest to be discerning.
Examine Everything Carefully
The word translated “examine” means to test something for genuineness, as in testing the purity of precious metals. Paul’s exhortation is to carefully examine everything, testing whether it is right or wrong, true or false, good or evil.
Throughout scripture, God emphasizes the importance of being discerning, of judging with righteous judgment. Jesus said,
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
The warning is not to judge based on what makes people happy or makes you look good, but to make the hard calls and judge righteously.
This is where many of our leaders are failing us today. They lack discernment and righteous judgment, preferring to make decisions based on what will make them popular or liked rather than what is right.
Hold Fast to That Which Is Good
Paul’s command to the Thessalonians, “hold fast to that which is good,” is similar to the exhortation he wrote to the Romans, “Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
The commands to hold fast and cling to mean to jealously guard the truth, to defend it zealously. The discerning individual does not compromise the truth of God’s word for the sake of unity but defends His word against all those who would weaken or compromise it.
Unfortunately, this is where many church leaders are failing. They are compromising God’s word in favor of unity with man. They allow and sadly, even promote a secular worldview of relativism and humanism over a Biblical worldview.
Abstain From Every Form of Evil
Finally, we come to Paul’s third exhortation, “abstain from every form of evil.”
The word for abstain means to “hold oneself back” or to “keep away from.” Paul refers not only to evil behavior but also to avoid evil teaching, false doctrines.
So, when carefully examining everything, if we find something evil, contrary to the truth of God’s word, we avoid it.
Beware Trojan Horse Leaders
The city of Troy lost a battle with the Greeks because they were not discerning. They allowed themselves to be tricked into thinking the Greeks had given up when they had hidden inside a giant wooden horse that the people of Troy pulled right into their city.
We are allowing Trojan Horse leaders into our midst. They sound good, they tickle our ears telling us things that sound nice, but all the while, they are deceiving us and leading us astray.
This is why it is essential for us to be discerning ourselves; to examine everything carefully, to hold fast to that which is good, and to abstain from every kind of evil!
If you are a leader, I beg you to take a hard look in the mirror and see if the person looking back at you fulfills the Biblical requirement for a discerning leader. If not, please step back and allow someone who is discerning to take your place.
Our society depends on it.
More Articles
I have written several articles on a leader’s qualifications. You can find them by typing “Leader Qualifications” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #449: 3 Action Steps for You to Bring Biblical Leadership to Life
- #433: What Traits Are Essential for Godly Leadership?
- #391: Not All Effective Employees Make Effective Leaders
- #379: Our Leadership Legacy Includes our Strengths and Weaknesses!
- #353: Is Your Ability to Influence Tied to Your Influenceability?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Do you consider yourself to be a discerning leader? Is there any aspect of discernment where you struggle?
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Category: Personal Development | Leader Qualifications
“Abstain” is a dirty word for hedonists and the self-absorbed who don’t understand that there is freedom in limitation. Limitation from excessive, unhealthy foods and alcohol. Limitation from toxic people and unhealthy habits. Yes, Ron, we need far more discernment in our political leaders and society in general. I sense the slippage away from kindness and decency and exceptionalism into a blurry morass of relativism, digital escapism, and mediocrity.