The gift and the groan of discernment

People don’t always see.  People don’t always hear.  People don’t always know.

And this, as a humbling reality, is something that we must appreciate, that we ourselves do not always see or hear or know what we ought to see, hear and know.  It is precisely why we need other human beings in our lives; trustworthy and discerning souls.

Those who:

§     can show us our blind spots, but do so in ways that respects our sensibilities, so we can learn effectively, and are not harmed.

§     are sentinels for us as we negotiate this at times perilous life.

§     inspire in us confidence and belief in terms of our gifting and value.

§     etc.

The gift of discernment is also a groan, for I have known so many, and experienced it myself personally, that to see something, or hear something, or know something — especially the reprehensible — is often a great burden.

One of the things that piques our discernment is life experience.  Who is especially sensitive to inappropriate behaviour?  It’s those who have been harmed previously by those same behaviours, that do or can also become triggers.  There is a sight for these things that cannot be unseen, just as there is a hearing for these things that cannot be unheard, and there is a knowing that can be no longer unknown.

Discernment is such a costly gift for many people who have it.  There is an inexplicable knowing the transcends even seeing and hearing; a spiritual sense.  It is always hoped that those with the discernment would use their gift for good, for warning, for safety, for protection.

Discernment in another person can leave us feeling vulnerable to whatever they can see, hear and know about situations.  The responsible thing in the exercise of this gifting is to allay people’s fears wherever we can.

Perhaps of all the gifts, discernment is the most inexplicable.  Those who have it can often feel dogged.  They can often feel, “Why me, God?”  It is often a surprise what we find out, what we are given, what we cannot unsee, unhear and unknow.

But discernment is a gift to be used for the glory of God, and in whatever nuance we are given it, it’s our task to accept each seeing, hearing and knowing, accepting we’re God’s instrument, and that our comfort is not the central concern.  Ours is a sacred mission.

Discernment is, of course, a prayer language, of prayer from God to a human being, a very divine Holy Spirit communication, just as the Holy Spirit groans in time with our own groans.

And last of all, perhaps the true gift of discernment is the discernment of the discernment.  True wisdom is needed if we’re aligned to the vision of doing no harm.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash