Proverbs 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.
This passage of scripture calls on us to exercise good discretion in all of the affairs of life, and in so doing we can avoid many of the pitfalls and snares that we inadvertently become entangled in from time to time. The wisdom and knowledge referred to in the passage is that which is born from above, which is not a slave to popularity nor a sport of circumstances, but rather that which will seek the eternal and temporal good of everyone, ourselves included.
Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and truths, but wisdom is the judicial use of both, and it is from this perspective that discretion is implemented across the entire spectrum of the human experience. A notable example of the need for proper discretion can be found in the experiences of James and John, who became infuriated when Christ asked to pass through one of the Samaritan towns on His way to Jerusalem, but was denied passage. When Christ's request was turned down, these two disciples became deeply offended, and asked Jesus if they should then call down fire from heaven to destroy the citizens of that city, to which Jesus offered a reproof for their lack of good discretion in their response. Let's read:
Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Now it is true that The Lord is owner of everything and everyone, and therefore the Samaritans were obviously overstepping their bounds as created beings, by preventing the Creator from passing through His own territory. And even though Jesus had the legal right to force His way through, yet it would not have been the discreet thing to do, for then it would have sent the wrong message about the principles upon which the kingdom of God are built. God's kingdom is not built upon force, neither does He compel anyone to serve Him, even though He has the authority and power to do so, and that's why He is pictured as standing at our heart's door knocking, waiting, and hoping for an entrance.
This humble attitude manifested by Christ stands in stark contrast to the forceful methods implemented by the devil, who has no problem with kicking in the door of our hearts, and bullying the inmates into submission. This was the principle upon which James and John had based their request to Christ, and therefore an immediate correction to their ideologies and methods, was due.
In our own experience we need to exercise sound judgment and good discretion as we interact with one another on a daily basis, lest we place our feet in the many snares that have been laid for the feet of the unwary. When Monica Lewinsky recently decided to open up old wounds pertaining to her illicit affair with the former Bill Clinton, good discretion was obviously lacking, for when old sins and grievances have been dead and buried, it is not God's will that they should be resurrected for any reason.
The same is true when we have disagreements amongst ourselves as brethren, or when we have been deeply wounded by anyone. After confession, repentance and forgiveness has been implemented, then we should resolve by the grace of God to permanently bury the hatchet, and in it's place, sow the seeds of charity and good will, so that the persons involved can heal as quickly and as permanently as possible.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to exercise sound judgement and good discretion, especially in the area of forgiving and forgetting wrongs, for when this is done in a uniform, consistent manner, the character of our heavenly Father is greatly magnified before the world. Let's read:
James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
May God add His blessing to the study and doing of His word. "Good night and God bless!