Discernment
There you go, folks. This is your "big word" for Saturday morning. Discernment.
Oh great...here we go. Larry is going to make us think on a Saturday morning. Wonderful. Way to go, Lar. Can't you just right some feel-good piece of fluff?
I suppose I could...but not today. Besides, I'm hopeful that even talking about discernment can be "feel-good". Or at least make somebody stop and think. Get it? See what I did there? Discernment/think...
I know! Sometimes I just crack me up!
Alright, back to the topic. So, what is "discernment"? Well, a dictionary-esque definition would be the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well. For those of us that are Believers in Christ, that definition might be more tailored along these lines: "perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding."
Interesting. The nutshell-version dictionary definition focuses on judgement. The Christian definition focuses on two things...perception in the absence of judgement, and the goal of obtaining spiritual direction and understanding. So let me see if I can put a finer point on it. The "world view" is judgemental. The Christ-centered view is the Holy Spirit. One points inward, the other points outward.
Are you with me so far? Not too deep for you this early in the morning? Good.
I pray for both wisdom and discernment. Wisdom is more than "book learning". It's more than a collection of facts. It is experiences, bumps and bruises, observations, trial and error...it's living and surviving this thing called life. That's why it is so hard to attribute "wisdom" to the young. A big part of wisdom is experience. Now, granted, you can gain wisdom by watching others, observing what not to do, or what is successful. Because no one will live long enough to make all the mistakes in the world by themselves. But wisdom, in and of itself, is not sufficient. It needs to be coupled with discernment. I can be the wisest man in the world, but if I don't have the capacity to apply discernment, all that wisdom is simply a collection of books sitting on a shelf.
1st Corinthians 13, verse 2: "
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
Wait a minute, Lar. You just said I needed "discernment". What's love got to do with it? (insert Tina Turner reference here).
Well, in my world view, "love" is where discernment comes from. Simple equation here. If A=B, and B=C and C=D, then A=D. I pray for discernment, which is "perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding." My spiritual direction comes from the Holy Spirit. (A). The Holy Spirit is a part of the triune God -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit. (B). God is love. All-knowing, all-powerful, omnipresent, all-loving. (C). I need to love as God loves. Or at least I need to try to understand things from the standpoint of God's love. (D). I need discernment. I need love. A=D.
Yes, I know. I made it seem simple. But that's the only way my human mind can understand this divine concept.
Wait, I can hear you. Not all of you, but the voices out there saying, "You're making it too simple, there are a lot more complexities. There are shades of gray. It's not all black and white." True statement. There are shades of gray. But I would submit that those shades of gray are human constructs. There is light, and there is darkness. If there is even a single candle glowing, then it is, by definition, no longer darkness. Granted, the more candles, the brighter the light, and the clearer it is for us humans to see. That's probably the best analogy for "discernment" that I can come up with. I need more candles so that I can see more clearly the path.
So how do I get more candles? Psalm 119, verse 105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." I can spend more time in God's word. That can be illuminating.
Matthew 5, verse 16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." So I can gain more light be observing others whom I see as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Spend time in the fellowship of Believers.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, spoke even more about this illumination, and the power behind it.
Ephesians 1: 18-21 --
"18 I pray that the eyes of your heart [a]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the [b]saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."
(insert Michael W. Smith "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord")
So...I can't just sit here and pray for discernment? Well, I can. But there are things I can do to try and get more candles in the room. I can spend time in God's Word. I can spend time with other Believers. AND I can pray.
I can't get healthier and lose weight simply by wishing it to be so. I've tried that. It's not horribly effective. I actually have to change some of my habits in order to accomplish those goals. I am cutting out sweets/refined sugars. I am cutting way back on carbs, especially bread and pasta. I'm eating more fish, less beef. I'm trying to get back into a semi-regular workout regimen. I'm keeping track of what I eat and what I do. AND I'm praying for strength, courage and self-discipline.
I can't gain discernment simply by wishing it to be so. I've tried that. Not horribly effective. I actually have to change some of my habits in order to accomplish that goal. I need to spend time in the Word. I need to spend time in the fellowship of Believers. AND I need to pray for wisdom and discernment.
Then what? Well....remember to be careful what you pray for...you just might get it. And with increased knowledge and increased discernment...comes increased responsibility. When you know the "next right thing", and still choose not to do it?
Let me know how that works out for you.
My two cents worth today.
Oh great...here we go. Larry is going to make us think on a Saturday morning. Wonderful. Way to go, Lar. Can't you just right some feel-good piece of fluff?
I suppose I could...but not today. Besides, I'm hopeful that even talking about discernment can be "feel-good". Or at least make somebody stop and think. Get it? See what I did there? Discernment/think...
I know! Sometimes I just crack me up!
Alright, back to the topic. So, what is "discernment"? Well, a dictionary-esque definition would be the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well. For those of us that are Believers in Christ, that definition might be more tailored along these lines: "perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding."
Interesting. The nutshell-version dictionary definition focuses on judgement. The Christian definition focuses on two things...perception in the absence of judgement, and the goal of obtaining spiritual direction and understanding. So let me see if I can put a finer point on it. The "world view" is judgemental. The Christ-centered view is the Holy Spirit. One points inward, the other points outward.
Are you with me so far? Not too deep for you this early in the morning? Good.
I pray for both wisdom and discernment. Wisdom is more than "book learning". It's more than a collection of facts. It is experiences, bumps and bruises, observations, trial and error...it's living and surviving this thing called life. That's why it is so hard to attribute "wisdom" to the young. A big part of wisdom is experience. Now, granted, you can gain wisdom by watching others, observing what not to do, or what is successful. Because no one will live long enough to make all the mistakes in the world by themselves. But wisdom, in and of itself, is not sufficient. It needs to be coupled with discernment. I can be the wisest man in the world, but if I don't have the capacity to apply discernment, all that wisdom is simply a collection of books sitting on a shelf.
1st Corinthians 13, verse 2: "
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
Wait a minute, Lar. You just said I needed "discernment". What's love got to do with it? (insert Tina Turner reference here).
Well, in my world view, "love" is where discernment comes from. Simple equation here. If A=B, and B=C and C=D, then A=D. I pray for discernment, which is "perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding." My spiritual direction comes from the Holy Spirit. (A). The Holy Spirit is a part of the triune God -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit. (B). God is love. All-knowing, all-powerful, omnipresent, all-loving. (C). I need to love as God loves. Or at least I need to try to understand things from the standpoint of God's love. (D). I need discernment. I need love. A=D.
Yes, I know. I made it seem simple. But that's the only way my human mind can understand this divine concept.
Wait, I can hear you. Not all of you, but the voices out there saying, "You're making it too simple, there are a lot more complexities. There are shades of gray. It's not all black and white." True statement. There are shades of gray. But I would submit that those shades of gray are human constructs. There is light, and there is darkness. If there is even a single candle glowing, then it is, by definition, no longer darkness. Granted, the more candles, the brighter the light, and the clearer it is for us humans to see. That's probably the best analogy for "discernment" that I can come up with. I need more candles so that I can see more clearly the path.
So how do I get more candles? Psalm 119, verse 105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." I can spend more time in God's word. That can be illuminating.
Matthew 5, verse 16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." So I can gain more light be observing others whom I see as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Spend time in the fellowship of Believers.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, spoke even more about this illumination, and the power behind it.
Ephesians 1: 18-21 --
"18 I pray that the eyes of your heart [a]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the [b]saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."
(insert Michael W. Smith "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord")
So...I can't just sit here and pray for discernment? Well, I can. But there are things I can do to try and get more candles in the room. I can spend time in God's Word. I can spend time with other Believers. AND I can pray.
I can't get healthier and lose weight simply by wishing it to be so. I've tried that. It's not horribly effective. I actually have to change some of my habits in order to accomplish those goals. I am cutting out sweets/refined sugars. I am cutting way back on carbs, especially bread and pasta. I'm eating more fish, less beef. I'm trying to get back into a semi-regular workout regimen. I'm keeping track of what I eat and what I do. AND I'm praying for strength, courage and self-discipline.
I can't gain discernment simply by wishing it to be so. I've tried that. Not horribly effective. I actually have to change some of my habits in order to accomplish that goal. I need to spend time in the Word. I need to spend time in the fellowship of Believers. AND I need to pray for wisdom and discernment.
Then what? Well....remember to be careful what you pray for...you just might get it. And with increased knowledge and increased discernment...comes increased responsibility. When you know the "next right thing", and still choose not to do it?
Let me know how that works out for you.
My two cents worth today.
Comments