Hi Friends,
It’s been some time since I last posted (lots of reasons), but I’m back. I plan to post weekly.
This morning in my devotional time I read Psalms 7 which really spoke to me about self-assessment and leadership and its value. So, here you go:)
When God Does a Leadership Assessment
Psalm 7:9 and the courage to be examined…
We don’t know the exact situation David was facing when he wrote Psalm 7.
What we do know is that he was under pressure. Misunderstood. Likely accused. Struggling.
Instead of defending himself or spiraling inward, David did something counterintuitive.
He invited examination.
“O righteous God, who probes minds and hearts…” (Psalm 7:9, NIV)
That phrase matters. Especially for leaders.
Struggle Is Not a Leadership Failure
- Struggles are not evidence that something has gone wrong
- They are part of leadership in a broken world
- David didn’t deny the struggle or minimize it
Instead, he appealed to two things:
- God’s faithfulness
- God’s righteousness
And then he welcomed God’s probing.
What Does It Mean That God “Probes”?
In Psalm 7:9, David uses language that goes beyond surface-level evaluation.
- Mind
- Motives
- Impulses
- Inclinations
- The drivers beneath awareness
- Heart
- The center of decision-making
- Planning
- Direction
David wasn’t asking God to review outcomes.
He was asking God to examine his inner leadership architecture.
Why Neuroscience Confirms This Is Wise
Modern neuroscience affirms what Scripture has long assumed:
- Much of leadership behavior is driven by nonconscious processes
- Stress narrows perspective and distorts self-assessment
- Under pressure, the brain defaults to self-justification, not self-awareness
Healthy leadership requires external perspective.
For believers, the most reliable external perspective is God Himself.
God-directed self-assessment reveals blind spots the brain cannot see on its own.
A Simple Leadership Framework from Psalm 7:9
David’s prayer points to three areas every leader must regularly examine:
- Intent
- Why am I doing what I’m doing?
- What motives surface when I’m tired, stressed, or misunderstood?
- Direction
- Where is this leadership taking me and others?
- Is my pace shaped by faithfulness or driven by urgency and fear?
- Character
- Who am I becoming as I lead?
- Not just what I’m producing, but what this season is forming in me.
Why Ongoing Assessment Makes Leaders Better
- It clarifies judgment
- It steadies emotional regulation
- It aligns inner life with outward responsibility
Leaders who resist examination drift.
Leaders who invite it mature.
David understood this: God’s probing is not punitive.
It is protective.
A Practical Step This Week
Set aside ten quiet minutes.
Pray Psalm 7:9 slowly.
Then ask:
- What might God want to probe in my motives?
- Where might He be redirecting my direction?
- What is He shaping in my character right now?
Healthy, ongoing, God-directed self-assessment doesn’t just make us better leaders.
It keeps us faithful ones.
Feel free to forward this to a leader who could use it.