Decisions Decisions Part 2

Discernment in Decisions

If you could know the best thing to do and could know the right choices that would result in the best possible outcome for yourself and others before facing a point of decision would you do it? If you could gain wisdom beyond what you know now and pass it on to your children that they might live better lives than you did would you do it? If you could face every obstacle life might throw at you with certainty of your eternal future would that bring peace, joy, and perseverance? If you had answers to some of life’s most difficult questions and could use them to help others in their lives and relationships would you use it?

In her article Can You Hear God Now? Your most important leadership role: discerning and obeying God’s voice together, Ruth Haley Barton poses the question - What is it that distinguishes spiritual leadership from other kinds of leadership? At the heart of spiritual leadership is discernment – the capacity to recognize and respond to the presence and activity of God both personally and in community.” 1

Numbers 20:10-13 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

Israel’s journey was a series of discerning and learning the will and direction of the Spirit of God. Each issue of discernment brought a point of decision. The key to making the right decision depended upon their ability to rightly discern. The wrong discernment can result in damaging consequences for more than you. Right discernment is found in right relationship within a congregation of relationship. Proverbs 11:4 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of sound biblical discernment in our journey of completing the task God has set before us. With every decision, every opportunity, every challenge, every relationship, everything we must seek sound biblical spiritual discernment. In the Body of Christ and in our families we must seek to be wise and discerning. Deut. 1:13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. We must cultivate what Barton calls “A culture of Discernment”. 2

Barton states, “Today, a spiritual leader is someone able to guide the discernment process so the community can sense God’s desire for them and move forward on that basis. Discernment does not take place in a vacuum, nor by accident. Spiritual community is the context for discernment. This means our life together is grounded in prayer and intentional spiritual practices, such as reading and reflecting Scripture, silence, listening, worship and intercession, self-examination and confession. We make ourselves available to God. We thus open ourselves to the wisdom of God that is beyond human wisdom but is available to us when we ask for it.” 3 James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Unlike Joshua, we may not find ourselves face-to-face with God or hearing His voice literally as thunder. Instead, we often must rely on “subtle dynamics of the Holy Spirit’s witnessing with the human spirit about things that are truth.” Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Again, Barton states, “Discernment requires us to move beyond our reliance on cognition and intellectual hard work to a place of deep listening and response to the Spirit of God within and among us.” 4 Thus discernment goes beyond feeling a sense of certainty but following a pattern of what we know to be true about that which govern our lives.

The first step in the pattern is clarity. Clarify the issues, the questions, the elements, the impact, the precepts, the principles, the boundaries, the intent and expectation of results. Be willing to ask enough questions to get to the root. Be willing to ask the tough questions of yourself and others. Be willing to detach yourself and your feelings from the problem in order to diligently seek the answer and will of God.

The second in the pattern is right relationship. Build right relationship with the right people. Be willing to allow their accountability into your life and be willing to take responsibility with it. Choose those who practice discernment in their own decision-making. Choose those who have been with God and admonish you to do the same. Do not depend on their relationship with God to guide your discernment in decisions. Instead, learn to discern by the Spirit of God for yourself. Your ability to rightly discern comes foremost by the depth of your right relationship with God. The wisdom of God through His Word, time in prayer, listening deep, and letting the questions of God speak deep to who you are and what you are about. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The third step in the pattern is prayer. “A true discernment process begins with a commitment to pray without ceasing.” 5 When praying do not allow human dynamics to distract. Instead, seek a time of patient, intentional, prayer of “quiet trust.” 6 Sometimes prayer is not with words but silence of the mind and lips and more speaking of the heart. We must pray with indifference. Not apathy but humbly resolved to pray for nothing less than and nothing more than the absolute will of God. Prayer must be void of self-interest, pride, ego, and personal opinions. Dr. Roy Hicks states, “One of the greatest mistakes we make is in trying to get God to answer prayer that is not in the best interest of everyone concerned. I am not so concerned about God’s people misunderstanding the power of prayer, as I am their frustration over unanswered prayer.” 7 Be honest if you are not indifferent and come humbly before your God knowing that He is love.

The fourth step is to listen deeply. Many human elements inhibit our ability to listen deep and know deep relationship with God. We must learn to listen on multiple levels.

1. Listen to what and how you pray

2. Listen to what God is saying in your experiences

3. Listen to your perspectives; how and why you are thinking

4. Listen to what you know of the Word of God is speaking

5. Listen to right relationship with God and others; seek godly affirmation

6. Listen to love, listen with love

7. Listen with silence – Not only what is God saying but what is God not saying that speaks loudly

8. Listen to the questions and often you will find answers. “Silence can help us cease striving and rest in God, bring calm to chaos, give space for us to deal with our own inner dynamics, and help us listen to God. The words that follow such silence are often wiser and more insightful than what was said prior.” 8

The final step in the pattern of discernment is doing what God said do. This is the goal of discernment. Jeremiah 42:20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. After all the listening, make a decision that you know is consistent with what you know of God’s divine character, nature, heart, will, and what He is doing around you. Be willing to allow God to clarify your decision even in the process of fulfillment. Spiritual discernment is not an end to the means it is a continuous process as part of your overall life. It is not a point of activity when a decision is to be made but a continual guiding of the Spirit of God throughout every moment of your life – always listening, always waiting, and always doing. Continually asking questions such as:

a. Does it bring the spirit of peace?

b. Does it agree with the precepts and principles of Scripture?

c. What fruit will it bear?

Discernment is not applicable to demon hunting. It is most applicable to searching your own heart and finding the heart of God. It is hardest to find, hear, and know God often in troubling times of life. Sound discernment will lead to sound decisions in drastic circumstances. It is here that we must employee sound biblical discernment so that the enemy does not plant seeds in our hearts, minds, and souls that create a gap between who we are and who we know God is.

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1 Barton, Ruth Haley, Can You Hear God Now? Your most important leadership role: discerning and obeying God’s voice together; Leadership Magazine 2008 Vol. 29 No. 3 Pg. 90

2-6 Ibid

7 Hicks, Roy H., Praying Beyond God’s Ability, Harrison House, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1977

8 Ibid. Barton, Ruth 2008