In the book of First Samuel, Hanah, who had been barren for many years, opened her heart to God in prayer (I Samuel 1:9-12). As she travailed, Eli, the prophet, assumed she was drunk. Eli, the man of God, said to her, “Get rid of your strong drink.” She responded that she was not drunk but presented her request to God in deep sorrow (I Samuel 1:16). Her response changed the prophet’s wrong judgement of her. She received a prophetic declaration that turned her life around. Wrong judgment of people’s actions and events is an error anyone could commit.
My concern in this article is the acceptance and rejection of erroneous judgments. Hannah’s testimony in this episode has created an unacceptable stereotype that congregants and subordinates must unquestioningly accept the faulty judgments made by those in positions of authority. This stereotype has led to various conflicts and silent struggles in many instances. Eli’s example should not validate any leader anywhere to wrongly judge actions of subordinates.
It’s important to note that Eli initially claimed Hannah was drunk; he quickly retracted his statement once he realized he was mistaken. Some individuals are so prideful that they cling to their incorrect judgments rather than admitting their errors. Over time, the acceptance of flawed judgments has been institutionalized, prioritizing the testimonies delivered by the anointed over the validity of those judgments. The fear of missing out makes many to ignore the wrong judgements of actions of people in authority. Some people even weaponize their erroneous judgments by claiming, “God told me.”
Christians are not always in the spirit. One of the greatest prophets of the last century is Kenneth Hagin. He once shared an experience in which he saw a man entering a brothel on his way to preach at a certain church. Hagin was shocked to later discover that this same man was playing the piano in the church where he was scheduled to preach. Although he was disturbed by this revelation, the Holy Spirit spoke to him before he began his sermon, explaining that the man was a new convert who had momentarily felt the urge to visit the prostitute. However, the Holy Spirit had convinced him not to return to the sinful lifestyle that Jesus had delivered him from, and the man ultimately turned back. Kenneth Hagin’s initial judgment could have led him to change his sermon topic to address the issue of fleeing fornication instead.
To avoid wrong judgment, we must accept our humanity and realise the dividing line between our preferences and what the holy spirit is saying on any matter. For example, I am an undevoted Arsenal football club fan in the English Premier League; it has always been my desire for Arsenal to win both the title and the Champions League. At the same time, I am a prophet called God. Perceiving in my spirit that the title will go to Arsenal (my favourite club) is a thing I must recheck because my humanity and preferences may be influencing my perception.
Paul acknowledges this limitation in some of his letters, often stating, “I speak as a man. (I Corinthians 9:8) Recognizing our humanity can lead us to make better decisions. It’s also important to understand that there are multiple decision-making rules to determine the causes and effects of life’s events. For example, Jesus’ disciples asked, “Who sinned?” When they saw the man who was born blind. Jesus made them realise that no one sinned but to show forth the glory of God (John 9:2).
To be continued
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