Be Discerning

Isa.11: ³ “And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears” [KJV]

Everything rises and falls on leadership [huge responsibility] and so every leader must be able to see the invincible and hear the inaudible. When some people, no matter what they say when they bring an issue to you, never agree to what they say there and then, always propose to get back to them with your decision. As a leader you have to be able to spot “this kind” and know them. No matter what they say and how plain it looks, never agree to it. Always pray and think about it.

Dan.6:⁶ “So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! ⁷ We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions .⁸ And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” ⁹ So King Darius signed the law… ¹⁴ Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.”

This is a clear example of the seduction of sycophancy and its returns. What happened to Dairus is a big lesson. Praise is very seductive for both men and woman. This is why people assume that women like to hear lies. But that is not true; it is just the seduction of praise. Similarly, men are naturally egoistic, so they are given to the seduction of praise. People would tell you that you are the best thing to happen to Jesus’ Church. If not for you, Jesus’ work on the cross would amount to nothing. People will say that you bring meaning to salvation. It is a very big lie! However, in some cases, the seduction of praise is not this direct. It is subtler. But as a leader, one of the gifts that you should consistently ask for and that I am totally grateful to God for, is the gift of discernment.

Without discernment being a Pastor is like a suicide mission. You cannot pick up the role of a pastor because everyone is pastoring. You need discernment; you need to hear what people say and hear what they have not said. Sometimes when they have finished talking, you need to follow them home to hear what they are saying at home. What some people say in their bedroom is very different from what they say when they are seated in front of you.

Prayer:  Father, I ask for wisdom and knowledge, the spirit of discernment to lead and govern the great people you have given to me, in Jesus Name. Amen! [2 Chro.1:10]