Part 1 | Part 2
I recently posted a status on Facebook and Twitter that received a lot of attention:
I can think some things… I can know some things… But I don’t have to “say” everything I think and know. #discretion
This is an area I still want/need to grow in. It’s a crazy temptation to want to tell others information you know that they might not. It’s like a game to see who knows what. In an ugly sense, we would call this gossip. But in an innocent form, we could call it a simple lack of discretion.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately (hence, the reason I posted it as my status). I’ve become aware in my own life how important discretion is to God. And specifically, I’ve realized two things: (1) the use of discretion is a form of being spirit-led, and (2) a lack of discretion is a sign of insecurity.
I definitely want to be intensely connected to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and follow His direction in all aspects of my life. This is the only way I can have any confidence that I’m a vessel “sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21).
Interestingly, I found four words in the Old Testament used for the word discretion.
- “tebunah” — Associated with both wisdom and knowledge and is contrasted with foolishness. Proverbs 19:11 says, “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”
- “mezimmah” — The idea of talking to oneself in a low voice, as if arriving at some conclusion; [as if to] conceive an idea and determine a course of action. Proverbs 2:11 reminds us, “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you.”
- “taam” — A key word when considering the concept of taste, perception, or decree; [this word] is ranked along with knowledge as something the psalmist wanted from the Lord. Again in Proverbs, “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion” (verse 11:22).
- “mispat” — Means simple justice in some contexts, often in parallel with the synonymous word righteousness; meaning to execute or do justice. “For He instructs him in right judgment [discretion], and teaches him” (Isaiah 28:26).
Well that’s enough to keep me busy for quite some time watching the things I say or think about!So I’ll leave you with three questions we should all ask ourselves when deciding if we need to use discretion: Doe this need to be repeated? Will it defame the person or put them in a bad light? Would Jesus repeat this?
Discretion is a valuable quality and a godly characteristic. I pray we’d all pay a little more attention to it.
