The Importance of Prudence in Leadership: In Political and Public Life - Pt 2

As promised in our March 2026 GWFW newsletter article “The Importance of

Prudence in Leadership,” I wish to write about prudence in political and public life. You

may wish to go back to that article. If you desire a copy of that article,

please email or text GWFW and we will send it to you (Tom@godswordforwarriors.com;

615-430-3544).

Why is prudence such an important issue in political and public life? First of all, good

government is not just a matter of principle alone, of laws and political decisions only,

but includes the ability to apply such in particular situations. Jesus used this principle of

prudence at least thirteen times in scripture: the woman taken in adultery; the woman at

the well; healing on the Sabbath; the wealthy ruler; the woman who washed his feet; on

the cross with his prayer of forgiveness; etc.

In politics and public life, prudence requires consideration of a nation’s strengths and

weaknesses, the nation’s tendency toward dissonance, or discord. Above all, prudence

requires recognition of the nation’s immediate and threatening challenges.

How does a prudent leader gain this kind of knowledge? He must be a regular

student of history, knowing the power of memorials and stories, knowing the

architecture of the nation’s imagination. This requires contact with those whom he

leads and represents. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King were masters of this.

One of our nation’s major failures in this realm in the last few decades is the lack of

such leaders. This is seen in our declining life expectancy, rising inequality, and

increasing polarization. Our cult of elitists and egotistical individuals have also

contributed to this malady.

In addition, our educational institutions have emphasized social-scientific studies,

while minimizing our emphasis on national and political history, literature, and the

humanities. Potential leaders of tomorrow are often poorly exposed to our national

character, while being flooded with theories and models of other philosophies of

government, rather than what has built a nation unequaled in history.

The meritocracy of many of our educational institutions has developed book-smart

young people being directed by book-smart professors. Wealthy parents are sending

their youth to such schools, anxious to secure the advantages of “ivy-league” schools

for their children.

Where are young students who work their way through school by getting jobs in

kitchens, or work crews, or upon serving their nation in the military, places where most

of their age group are found? Many university students today have no exposure to shop

floors where the mainstays of our nation’s industries and job forces are found,

mainstays who are often more competent in the business world than the managerial

class of elitist.

So, many in leadership positions today, while they may have good intentions,

intentions based on being insulated from the real world around them, often haven’t a

clue about real life. If this is not true, how do we explain such thoughtlessness that

supports the legalism of marijuana and other drugs in a period of unprecedented

addition and drug overdose; open borders; electric cars and the shutdown of oil, gas,

and propane? How can they propose men engaged against women in sport activities,

transgender surgeries, and other man-denying activities that go against common sense

intelligence?

Being prudent is not just about avoiding risks; it also involves being proactive in

movements that are thought-out intellectually and prudently prior to jumping in the fray.

For example, a business might implement safety measures to prevent accidents before

they occur. We think of the fires in California recently. How much damage and loss

could have been avoided if prudence was exercised in the proper care of the forests?

Many in leadership positions today are prone to hesitation in acting against the

dangers posed by China’s economic and military aggression, and Iran’s nuclear threat.

Yet these situations are hard to address. The same can be said about the middle-class

wage stagnation, illegal immigration, identity politics, and other social and economic

issues.

What is needed today is prudence in the lives of leaders across the nation, in every

realm, military, social, government, education, health care, etc. We can’t wait for

committees or experts to find perfect solutions, any more than military leaders on the

battlefront can wait for arm-chair politicians and social scientists to draw up battle plans

for an enemy assault in the heat of battle. Without prudent leaders in our midst, our

nation may face dire consequences.