Dancing in No Man's Land by Brian Jennings

Author:Brian Jennings
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Life / Personal Growth, RELIGION / Christian Life / Spiritual Growth
Publisher: The Navigators
Published: 2018-05-21T16:00:00+00:00

DISCERNMENT

Lance Armstrong used to be my hero. Over the span of one decade, he crushed the world’s greatest bicyclists, the world’s most excruciating bike race, and one of the world’s most feared diseases. He also crushed anyone who threatened to expose his secret.

Armstrong’s popularity skyrocketed after he overcame cancer. When he started stockpiling yellow jerseys (victories) at the Tour de France, he became one of the most popular figures in the world. I’ll never forget watching a grueling mountain stage in which a bystander’s bag snagged his handlebars. Armstrong toppled to the ground, losing valuable seconds. Once back on his bike, adrenaline surged through his body. He danced on his pedals until he caught the race leaders, but he didn’t slow down. Soon, the rest of the field could only see the back of his jersey. Armstrong seemed invincible.

As his victories grew, whispers of performance-enhancing drugs surfaced. Soon, accusations and investigations dogged his every step. Armstrong, as he always did, fought back and won. He attacked his accusers with the same ferocity with which he attacked the steep inclines of the Alps. Those not defending Armstrong’s integrity risked their reputations, jobs, and financial security. Armstrong seemed invincible.

But in 2013, Armstrong crashed. This time there’d be no recovery. Evidence forced him to reveal years of doping. He’d cheated. He’d used, exploited, and ruined people. Armstrong was a fake. People like me, his fans, felt shocked. Then we felt anger. We’d been duped.

Lance Armstrong’s tumble reminded me of the value of discernment. In this case, I lacked it. We need to beg God to give us discernment, so we can protect the innocent and see deceivers for who they are.

Discernment gives us a clearer view of others’ motives. It guides us to know if we should pray for the deceiver privately or expose the danger publicly. It lets parents know if their teen is complimenting them or just buttering them up. It helps the leader know if their underachieving employee needs a compassionate ear or a firm rebuke. It informs us of the answer to U2’s melodious question: “Is there a time for keeping your mouth shut; is this the time for [speaking up about] human rights?”[61] Jesus possessed discernment in full. People betrayed, denied, and lied to him, but nobody successfully duped the only innocent man to ever live.

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