Acting with Discernment

September 25, 2011


Background Scripture: Proverbs 25:1 – 28
Lesson Passage: Proverbs 25:1 – 10

There are two ways to experience an environment. The first way is to be familiar with the environment and hence have a sense of where the dangers lie and what areas are relatively safe. The second way to experience an environment is to be carefree and throw all caution to the wind and behave as if every area is completely safe. In the wild where some animals face life and death situations every day, being carefree is a sure recipe for a short life that will likely end violently. Therefore, in the wild, animals rely on their instincts and keen physical senses to sense the presence of danger and thus avoid the area. However, if that environment changes drastically in a short amount of time, both keen physical senses and instinct will quickly become useless and an entire breed of some wild animals can become extinct. On the other hand, humans are not equipped with unnaturally keen physical senses or with instincts that can be relied upon for survival. Instead, God gives people a sense of discernment. Discernment is only operative when we have wisdom to apply to a situation. Discernment allows us to quickly assess our environment and to apply discriminating judgment to any changes that occur within it. We are able to constantly adapt based on an ever-changing environment. Today, people are rarely in a predicament that is considered “life or death” or that can affect their physical wellbeing outside of war or acts of terrorism. Yet discernment still has its benefits. How people interact and react socially is often dictated by discernment. Our adaptation may be based simply upon who enters or leaves a room that we are in. Once we are made aware of who is in our presence, we quickly adjust our behavior to fit the situation. It is normal for people to avoid confrontation or situations that can prove embarrassing. Our training starts early (literally before we can walk) as to how we are to conduct ourselves in various types of environments. As we mature, our friends and colleagues at school or work begin to serve as our mentors to teach us the social graces that should govern our behavior in these new and unfamiliar environments. But still, we never forget what we were taught at home. We refer to that teaching as our home training. Our background text contains some of the proverbs that Solomon wrote. These proverbs sound very much like some of our home training or “mother with”. It is better to be asked up than to be asked down. Don’t start a fight because you might not be able to finish it. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Don’t overstay your welcome. We should remember that these are more than just Solomon’s ideas. Solomon prayed and asked God to give him a heart of discernment so that he could properly lead God’s people, Israel. These proverbs were given to Solomon by inspiration of God. These proverbs teach us to act with discernment. I often remember the instructions given to us before we left home as children, “Act like you got good sense.” This simply meant that we should use all that we had been taught to determine what we say and do as well as how we say and do them. Our parents were admonishing us to act with discernment—or else!


Robert C. Hudson
September 19, 2011