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How discernment could change the way you lead your life 🔎
Why discernment is a hidden superpower
Do you know that feeling you get when something is “off?” You can’t explain exactly why, but you know that person or situation is...not right.
That’s discernment, and it may be what you need to tune into when leading your life.
God calls us throughout Scripture to improve our discernment, but how do we intentionally grow in discernment?
The frequency of the word discernment—a word commonly used for decades—fell to near zero in the 70s.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t important anymore. On the contrary, it’s more important than ever as what we see and hear becomes harder and harder to trust with the advancement of technology.
So, how do we lean into discernment? It starts with looking for little ways to weave more discernment into our daily habits and decisions.
Understand the core of discernment
The core of discernment is the drive to understand what God wants you to see. What is he trying to show you?
Leaning into what God wants for you can help you discern the right choice when confronted with two (seemingly) good options. The more you lean into what God wants you to see, the more it becomes “good or God” vs “good or good.”
The decision simplifies when you look through the lens of what aligns with God's plan. Sometimes that means looking at what you’re saying no to as much as what you’re saying yes to.
If we’re stubbornly saying “no” to something God is calling us to do, even if the thing we choose to do instead isn’t necessarily “bad,” we’re not practicing discernment.
Tune into what the Lord wants you to see. The thing that seems unfamiliar or scary may be the thing you’re meant to do in order to grow.
Filter advice as you evolve: sources may not be evergreen
You probably wouldn’t go to your boss for marriage advice. Maybe they had a great impact on your career as a coach, but that doesn’t mean they have all the answers.
Discerning when you should accept advice and when to gracefully set it aside is a large part of making decisions that align with where you are right now.
The teacher who knew you so well in middle school may not have the most relevant advice today. That doesn’t mean their advice wasn’t once instrumental or helpful.
Filtering the advice you receive based on where you’re at in the present can help you discern your best sources of influence and support.
Some people are in your life for a season—that doesn’t mean their advice travels to where you’re going next.
Action Items:
1. Avoid cognitive bias and embrace possibilities
You may think you’re impartial to one outcome over the other, but sometimes cognitive bias sneaks in behind the scenes.
Keeping your heart and mind open to possibilities and different outcomes can help discernment rise over the clamor of pros and cons.
2. Recognize how much you don’t know
Recognizing the end of your understanding and the beginning of where you need advice, help, and guidance is a crucial step to practicing more discernment.
If you think you have all the answers, you may find it hard to discern the best option when faced with complex choices. Reaching out and diversifying your perspective can lend to a more fleshed-out decision.
3. Pray for wisdom and discernment
When we pray for patience, we get lots of opportunities to practice patience, right? That doesn’t always go as we hope.
It follows that if we pray for discernment, we may be faced with some tough choices that test our abilities to tune into God's voice, seek credible sources for advice, and discern the best course of action.
God reminds us to practice discernment for a reason—it equips us with the tools we need to lead faith-filled, Christ-centered lives through our thoughts and actions.
Where do you feel you need more discernment, or how have you practiced discernment in your life?