What Is Discernment?

Lately the topic ‘discernment’ has been poking me. I know what I think that is or means but I decided to take a deeper look see.

Where does discernment come from? How do we get it?

I always have questions. Even as a kid I was always asking why why why. I came here hardwired to want to know the bottomline truth of something. The truth nothing but the truth so help me God.

Is that something in my DNA or my personality type? Was I born with with the seeds of it? I don’t know. Maybe the answer is complex.

Is it about being observant?

In grade school I preferred standing back and watching as all the other kids ran after each other and the girls shrilly screamed even as the boys yelled. I wondered what made girls scream? I conclude genetics covers a lot.

When I was older I had fine-tuned my preference to watch and listen to others, joining in only when addressed or called on. In my silent observations I made mental notes about personalities and how people spoke and reacted to others. Over time I was able to recognize repeating patterns that developed valuable intuitiveness.

Does it come from tough experience?

That which doesn’t kill you makes you______[fill in the blank]

In my spiritual growing up, I had to be introduced to some challenging learning curves and realities, exposed to the ‘sounds good’ doctrines of false teachers. All of which fine-tuned what I refer to as my spidey senses. I think I can claim I now know the signs, the red flags and warning bells in certain kinds of ‘calls’ to ‘become’.

Interestingly the demonic influencers tend to use the same tactics and lures so once you are in tune you can spot them. The patterns are repetitive because evil spirits know how to tap into human vulnerabilities. Most of which are centered on our willingness to believe what we want to believe because it makes us feel so good for a time - not unlike dope, which then, of course, destroys us.

I think maybe discernment is a result of basic commn sense, honed sharp by trial and error experience. We each have the opportunity to develop our ability to spot an untruth, but like any other potential skill we have to exercise the (brain muscle) or it atrophies.

I have an unofficial hobby of reading the scam emails I receive every day as an exercise of my discernment skills. I mentally rank them. I thought this one had first place when Warren Buffet, ‘millionaire business tycoon’ wanted to give me 1,200,000 dollars (US). And when I did not respond he emailed me wanting to know ‘why I no thank him for all money he gave me’.

However the first place award now goes to:

Dear Valued Customer

I received terrible news today that you had an accident and died on the way to the hospital.

Mr. Mesghinna Kuflu contacted me today with the bad news and told me that you had given him your power of attorney to claim your inheritance because you had told him everything before you passed away.

I am writing to find out if this is true, because he is willing to transfer the balance and the fees to change the property documents into his name and claim your $7,500.000.00 inheritance.

I would like to confirm from you to know if he is lying or not. you will have to respond to this message within 24 hours before it will be too late.

your urgent response will determine the next action.

Yours sincerely

Nick Nele

Okay, this looks like a joke but it is a discernment test - what was your first red flag?

You might have guessed it was the consolation that I had died but actually it was the greeting - Dear Valued Customer. Apparently this person is grieved over my death but doesn’t know my name.

The conundrum here is not so much that the liars think they are smarter than you, it’s that they would not be so prolific and successful if enough folks weren’t so lacking in discernment. How long did it take for the Nigerian Prince scam to go away?

There’s actually two kinds of discernment - though - the kind we need here on this earthly plane and the kind we need to recognize the scammers who wear the mask of spiritual goodness. We really are at war with dark principalities and we need fine-tuned discernment and to stay armored up because the devil is questing for whomsoever he can coax away. He’s been at it for awhile so he well knows all the weak spots.