Really Real - Discernment Part 1

I often ask God to give me discernment so that I can have an accurate assessment of reality. Discernment involves seeing what my philosophy professors called that which is "really real."


Only philosophers would think to distinguish between that which is "real" and that which is "really real"!


As leaders we need to see between the lines and get beneath superficial presentations to understand what's really going on.


J.I. Packer provides an excellent discussion of discernment in his book on Nehemiah, A Passion for Faithfulness.


According to Packer, "discernment may be defined as the ability to see what you are looking at and to assess it by appropriate criteria. Spiritual discernment is a matter of perceiving the qualities, tendencies, and likely sources of proposals and policies that relate to God and His kingdom. Though such discernment may have a basis in natural shrewdness, it comes to fruition only through a sustained attunement to God and a habit of asking oneself at every point in life what makes for His glory. ... Spiritual discernment is a prime need, which nature alone will not supply, and which therefore must be sought from God through godliness as a way and style of life."

Discernment is important for leaders because so often the presenting problem is really just a symptom of something deeper. We need discernment to help us get to the root problem. Think about this in the context of your yard: If you just mow or weed-eat the weeds they will be back next week. What is really needed is to get the weeds out by the roots. Only then can we hope to keep them from recurring.

As leaders I think we need to cultivate the habit of asking the Lord to help us see what's really real so that we can get to the root of the issues we are dealing with. This is difficult for most of us because we have a bias for action, and too often we act before we fully understand. Or, we act based on our understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Lord, help me to see with your eyes. Help me to see beneath the surface so that I can get to the root of the problem. Give me your understanding. Don't let me go off half-cocked with my own understanding. Give me discernment.