A moment of weakness, a rash decision, an obviously wrong choice– at some point in our lives, acting with a lack of discernment is inevitable. While at times a lack of discernment can easily be corrected, at other times even a momentary lapse can lead to life-altering consequences. Discernment is something to be desired; it is about finding wisdom from on high. “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psa 119:130).1 A discernment-filled life leads to a God-pleasing life. But what happens if it is lacking?
The Lord Jesus rebuked a group of people in Luke 12 because, even though they had the ability to discern obvious secular and societal things such as the weather, they lacked spiritual discernment. “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is” (Luk 12:54). He called them hypocrites for not being able to discern the spiritual signs of the time, the deeper, more profound and more valuable things. In other words, according to the Lord Jesus, it is one thing to be able to discern earthly signs and plan accordingly, but it’s another thing altogether to be able to discern the things which are spiritual and of eternal value.
But what is the big deal, you may ask? Is discernment really that vital to the Christian life? We see many examples throughout Scripture of damage that was caused by a lack of discernment.
Relational Damage
The first reference in the Bible to someone who lacked discernment, to someone who did not rightly scrutinize a situation, is in the account of Isaac’s blessing of his sons in his old age in Genesis 27. There we find Jacob, at the advice of his mother, coming to steal a blessing from his brother Esau. The plot is not all that elaborate: Rebekah prepared the stew, Jacob raided his brother’s wardrobe and placed a few coverings of goat skins on his arms, and the plan was set. Isaac, even in his old age, had his doubts when Jacob came in, as the voice sounded different even though the hands felt like Esau’s. And it says that Isaac did not “discern” him. He didn’t weigh and ponder the situation enough; he didn’t carefully consider it, and therefore did not perceive the situation clearly; he lacked discernment. As a result, he gave the blessing to Jacob over Esau; Rebekah’s favorite son won the blessing. But it was Isaac’s lack of discernment that led to the relational and familial problems that would follow. “So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, ‘The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob’” (Gen 27:41).
Rebekah thought it would take just a matter of days for them to heal from the damage done. She told Jacob, “Arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there” (Gen 27:43-45). Little did she realize that it would be over 20 years before Jacob and Esau would find reconciliation in their relationship. This all was a result of a momentary lack of discernment.
No doubt, in our lives today, a lack of discernment, a rushed decision, a lack of prayerful consideration – not carefully considering a matter – can lead to relational and familial issues that can carry consequences, not just for days or weeks but for years. Whether it be an impulsive “unequal yoke” relationship, or maybe an explosive shouting match at a family get-together, the damage that can be done from these decisions made with a lack of discernment can last much longer than we ever anticipate.
Spiritual Damage
At times, we would attribute someone’s ruining their life to a series of poor decisions over time. While this may be true in some cases, we must guard ourselves against even a momentary lack of discernment. Even a single unweighted decision can have devastating consequences for the rest of our lives.
The book of Proverbs on several occasions is painfully direct in its warning of what can result from a momentary lack of discernment. “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul” (Pro 6:32). It is clear that some decisions made in the heat of the moment, without proper scrutiny and understanding of the consequences that follow, can lead to a real spiritual downfall.
We could contrast the differing reactions of both Joseph and David when it came to being put in a precarious situation that had the potential to result in damaging consequences. When Joseph was pressured by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, in that very moment he did not lack discernment but rather “left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside” (Gen 39:12). Joseph understood the truth of the old adage that “sometimes a good run is better than a bad stand.” In that split second, when a moment’s lack of discernment could have caused devastating damage to his life and testimony, Joseph ran! Understanding the gravity of the trespass kept him from participating in that sin.
But with David we see a stark contrast. After seeing a beautiful woman from afar, and even after learning that she was married, David showed a real lack of discernment. He acted on impulse rather than with careful consideration and scrutiny of the true impact of his sin. That lack of discernment led to future sin in causing the death of Uriah and, as a result, the death of David’s own son.
May the Lord help and preserve us from a sinful downfall because of a lack of discernment in the crucial moments of life. While we can be thankful that God is a God of restoration, as evidenced in the life of David, the consequences of sin remain. The spiritual damage that is done can run deep, not only in the one who lacked discernment but for others around who are affected by the resulting consequences.
May we keep the words of Proverbs in our hearts and minds as we desire to live spiritually-discerning, God-honouring lives. “Lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge” (Pro 5:1-2).
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the NKJV.
