Today, let’s talk about discernment and what it means. During the course of our lives we make a lot of choices, thousands of them every day. So how do we know what to choose? Most of us weigh the pros and cons. We try to discern what the best solution could be. Sometimes it’s as simple as choosing good over evil.
Learning discernment goes way back to Bible times. One of my favorite stories was about the wisest man to ever live, King Solomon. I Kings chapter 3 tells us how Solomon got his wisdom. He asked for it. Following in the footsteps of his father, King David, I’m sure Solomon had some pressure to make good decisions. So he asked God to give him the gift of ‘an understanding heart’ so that he would make good, wise choices. Chapter 3 tells the famous story of the two mothers fighting over a baby and his wise solution. Check it out.
Have you ever asked God for wisdom? That’s where you start. When we discern to make a choice, do we ask ourselves: Do I have all the facts? Have I done any research? Will this be good for others, not only me? What would Jesus do? Does it follow along with God’s laws? I know, as I write it down, it seems so simplistic, but in reality, there are some hard choices in life. But I’ve found that most choices are between good and evil, God’s laws and our own selfishness. We are the ones who tend to muddy it up.
We can to learn to be better at discernment. We have to practice and make it a habit. We need to ask good questions. (This jelly doughnut tastes so good, but is it the best choice for me for breakfast? Every morning? Is it providing the nourishment my body needs to get moving and start my day? —Probably not.)
We also have to be careful that we don’t confuse discernment with being judgmental. We shouldn’t share people’s shortcomings and failures to the world. We shouldn’t seek revenge.
In this election year, there needs to be a lot of discernment going on. Have you done your homework? Have you read up on many of the candidates? Do you know their views and platforms? Please don’t blindly go in the voting booth and just check off names and issues that you don’t know anything about. Take an active role in learning about what’s going on. Don’t rely on social media for the truth. Seek that yourself.
Sometimes people will do whatever feels good to them without discerning whether it is good or bad. Sometimes things become popular, but not necessarily good. Good can go by the wayside when a culture has gotten too comfortable and prosperous. Never forget lessons learned from history for they tend to repeat themselves. Be wise. Be discerning. Make good choices.
Thanks for reading. I hope this inspires you to seek wisdom. Change your habits and you will change your life. You can sign up to get this delivered right to your inbox every Wednesday. Just hit the sign up button. Like, share, or leave a comment.
God bless.—Barb
