Issue #161, August 5, 2015
It was a matter of life and death. The executioners were searching for Daniel to kill him. The king earlier had a dream and ordered his astrologers to both tell him the dream and provide the interpretation. When they declared that the task was impossible, the king ordered all the wise men, including Daniel and his three friends, to be killed. How would you respond in a similar situation where your life was on the line? Many leaders would respond with anger and defensiveness or simply run in the other direction. But Daniel chooses another path. When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel (Daniel 2:14-15). Daniel responded “with wisdom and tact” and teaches servant leaders to do the same.
Daniel spoke with wisdom.
Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement, knowing what should be done in a situation. Daniel, in a wise manner, spoke when others were silent and knew what to speak. He wisely asked for more information from Ariel, the commander. Before making any statement, he asked, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Daniel was genuinely seeking to understand the situation more completely. Without understanding he could not know what action would be appropriate. After hearing the response from Arioch, Daniel took another step of going to the king to ask for time to interpret the dream. Then he called his friends for prayer. Daniel’s speech and actions reflect a calm, steady, and wise approach, even in this dangerous time. Servant leaders know what to speak; they speak with wisdom.
Daniel spoke with tact.
Tact is the ability to say something with appropriate sensitivity in a manner that avoids giving unnecessary offense. Daniel recognized that he needed to not only be wise but to speak with great care. Tensions were running high and people were going to die. A slip of the tongue at this point or a provocative word could have proven fatal. He did not attack the commander or accuse him of any wrong-doing but tactfully kept the door open for further dialogue. He went to the king and made a simple but clear request, and the king responded by giving him time. Daniel showed a clear sense of what was appropriate to say in this situation. Servant leaders know how to speak; they speak with tact.
Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact.
Daniel combined both wisdom and tact in his speech. He recognized that wisdom alone was not enough; he needed to speak in a manner that would diffuse the situation and allow a solution. Tact alone would also not have worked. He might have spoken tactfully but without knowing what needed to be done. Wisdom without tact would have caused the situation to get worse. Tact without wisdom would have avoided offense, but not moved the situation to a resolution. Wisdom and tact produced a solution. By speaking with wisdom and tact, Daniel not only saved his own life, but the lives of many others as well. Servant leaders know what to speak and the right way to speak it.
Lead today by speaking only with wisdom and tact!
For further reflection and discussion:
- Reflect on a time that your mouth got you into trouble. From Daniel’s example, what could you have done differently?
- Mathew 12:34 says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” When your mouth gets you into trouble, what does it indicate about your heart?
- How often do you offer your opinion before asking questions? Ask a close friend to give you his/her answer to this question about you. What is God inviting you to do to change?
- Are you stronger in speaking with wisdom or tact? How can you move towards combining both?