Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"
1 King 3:9
(c) Freeshapetest.com - Go to the link at the end to find out more.
Flashback…
I love to meditate on the story of Zelophehad's daughters found in Numbers 27. Israel was on the verge of entering the Promised Land, and the people had begun seriously considering their inheritance. At that time, the law only permitted males to inherit, meaning Zelophehad’s five daughters—left fatherless after his passing—were disqualified from receiving any portion of the land. The law was clear, and their fate seemed sealed.
However, these daughters refused to accept what appeared to them as an injustice in the law. They boldly petitioned Moses, arguing that although their father had no sons, that should not exclude them from their rightful share of the inheritance. Moses listened carefully to their case and, despite knowing what the law stated, took the matter before the Lord in prayer.
God responded by changing the decree in favor of Zelophehad’s daughters, granting them the right to inherit land. This moment highlights not only the daughters’ courage and sense of justice but also Moses’ leadership. Though he had deep knowledge of the law, he did not rely solely on his understanding. Instead, he sought to discern God’s will in this situation, just as he did in many others.
Moses’ pattern of seeking God’s guidance—while also considering the bigger picture—gave him the unique wisdom and ability to lead his people. And these were not an easy people to lead; they were often rebellious and resistant to change. Yet, through both difficult and prosperous times, Moses remained a leader who turned to God first, making decisions rooted in divine wisdom rather than mere human reasoning.
Do you seek to discern God's will for your life in decisions you want to take? Discernment is a Servant Leaders best friend!
Definition
In simple terms, discernment represents the leader's ability to make good and well-informed
decisions based on their relationship with God. In the story, we saw earlier, Moses did not only count on his
knowledge in order to make a decision. He had to discern what God’s will was
and in doing so, he was able to make a good and well-informed decision. As a
Servant Leader, you will be faced with the challenge of making good decisions frequently. The
pressure is real, when it comes to making decisions, as you want to ensure that
these decisions are good and will be of great utility both to the people
being served as well as the organization/community.
The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a
fool feeds on folly.
Proverbs 15:14
I am your servant;
give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.
Psalm 119:125
Seeking God's Will in Decision-Making
This exercise will help you cultivate discernment by developing the habit of seeking God’s wisdom before making important decisions, just as Moses did when confronted with the case of Zelophehad’s daughters.
Step 1: Identify a Decision You Want to Make
Take a moment to think about a decision you currently need to make—whether personal, professional, or spiritual.
Write it down in a journal, detailing the different factors involved and any challenges or uncertainties surrounding it.
Reflection Questions :
a - Have I already formed an opinion based on my own knowledge, or am I open to God's direction ?
b - What possible consequences could my decision have on others?
c - Am I considering only my perspective, or am I willing to listen to those who may see things differently (like Moses did with Zelophehad’s daughters)?
Step 2: Seek God's Guidance (Prayer and Scripture Meditation)
a - Just as Moses took the matter before the Lord, set aside time to pray over your decision this week.
b - Ask God for wisdom, clarity, and a heart that desires His will above all else.
Meditate on the following scriptures:
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Psalm 119:125 – I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes.
Step 3: Seek Counsel (Wisdom from Others)
a - Like Zelophehad’s daughters, who voiced their case, and Moses, who listened and sought God’s will, take time to consult godly mentors or trusted individuals who walk in discernment.
b - Write down their insights and compare them with what you sense God is speaking to your heart.
Reflection Questions:
a - Did their counsel confirm or challenge what I was initially thinking?
b - How does their advice align with scripture and God’s character?
Step 4: Test Your Decision (Practical Action)
Before finalizing your decision, evaluate it against these biblical principles:
a - Does it align with God's word? (Psalm 119:105)
b - Does it bring peace? (Colossians 3:15)
c - Does it serve others and glorify God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
If you have peace about the decision, take the next step in faith. If uncertainty remains, continue praying and seeking wisdom before moving forward.
Step 5: Journal Your Experience
Write down the entire process: the initial dilemma, prayers, counsel received, scriptures that stood out, and how the final decision was made.
Reflect on what you learned about discernment and decision-making through this process.
Final Reflection:
a - What did I learn about God's guidance?
b - How has this process strengthened my faith and ability to discern in future decisions?
c - What steps will I take to continually grow in discernment?
A discerning leader in addition to developing a heart that seeks to do those things that please God, equally seeks to develop their intuition and foresight.
Foresight and
Intuition
On one hand foresight enables the Servant Leader to understand the
lessons from the past, hold a firm grasp of the realities of the present as
well as clarity regarding future decisions that are to be taken and their
possible consequences. Foresight therefore sharpens the leader’s ability to
understand. Intuition, on the other hand, is the leader's ability to understand
their situation (sometimes due to experience, knowledge, or relationship with
God), enabling them to make wise decisions.
Leaders with
good intuition are able to correctly evaluate their people,
resources, trends and themselves. What this means is that a leader with good
discernment is able to look at a situation for example and know if it is the
right time to start a new project, make a commitment impacting his/her team or
engage in a deal. In addition to taking out time to talk to God, the servant
leader should also use the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats) analysis to help with reading
their circumstances.
The SWOT analysis:
Before you commit
yourself/people to any new project, apply the SWOT analysis by asking the
following questions :
A- Internal Analysis
What are my/our Strengths and Weaknesses (internal analysis)? How can I/we take advantage of these strengths or work to overcome the weaknesses?
B- External Analysis
What are the Opportunities before me/us and the
possible Threats that can stop me/us
from reaching my/our goals? How can I/we take advantage of these opportunities and build a strategy against the possible threats? You can use the following acronym to evaluate your external environment:PESTEL = P - Political E- Exonomic S- Social T- Technological E- Environmental L- Legal
Doing this should give you clarity in your preparedness and
help increase your ability to read yourself, resources (people, finance and
plans) and trends (what does data indicate etc.). It will help you adjust to the reality of your current resources prior before engaging.
Week 9 Assignment:
- Complete the discernment exercise (Seeking God's Will in Decision-Making) and document it.
- SWOT yourself as a leader taking into consideration your life mission. You can use this document to help you determine your skills, passions, talents and gifts.
- SWOT your organization and family taking into consideration their expressed missions.
- Sit down with someone influential from your family or organization and discuss what you found out.
- What do you plan to do over the next few months, to improve on your ability to discern?
- Email your assignment to your mentor and copy Team21. Post a summary of what you learned on your blog and share the link in your group.
- Write a short leadership thought based on what you learned this week and share with your mentor. Once they validate, post on your LinkedIn and #Team21, #ServantLeadership #NotSoWithYou
- Please e-mail your answers for this week and all other weeks to team21online@gmail.com and your mentor at the latest on Saturday. Also post a summary of what you have learned on your newly created blog. Ask your mentor for her/his email address.
---------------------------------------------
Extra:
Here is a free online test that can help you discover your
purpose: https://www.freeshapetest.com/
Comments
Post a Comment