“Discernment is not something you do; It is something you receive.”
How many decisions do you make in a day? Researchers at Cornell University have found that we make over 200 decisions just about food in a day. We face decisions all the time. Some decisions are choices we face every day, such as what we will eat. Other decisions happen less frequently such as changing jobs, moving to a new place or who will I marry.
As leaders, we often need discernment with our decisions. Discernment is defined as “acuteness of judgment or understanding.” We need good judgment. These choices impact us as individuals. However, being a leader also means that you are influencing and empowering others. As a leader, when you make a decision, that choice can have a huge ramification for many other people also.
Recently I was reading about a follower of a historical leader in the Bible and how he sought discernment with direction. The person is known as Eliezer, the servant of Abraham. Abraham sent him on a very important journey to find a wife for his son. He was not given a name of a specific woman. He was only told to go back to Abraham’s homeland and his family. Finding the right person was left to Eliezer to determine.
Eliezer ended up being very successful with his mission. This story can be found in Genesis, chapter 24 and through it we can learn steps to finding discernment when seeking direction:
Ask for Clarity for the Decision within your Heart
We can come up with a logical plan to come to a decision. But often the final decision must be discerned from the heart. When Eliezer was asking for clarity on how to proceed, it says that he spoke from his heart. Discernment can have logical and intuitive components to it. As leaders we want all of the facts for correctness. But often with decisions, what we most need is clarity.
To get to clarity, you need to discern at a heart level that you are indifferent to any outcome except what is best for the mission. Don’t let your own ambitions, logic, circumstances or others opinions lead you astray. Get your heart in the right place and then seek clarity from a clear heart.
Silence, Awareness and Listening
We live in a noisy world. Often we have the TV on, the radio playing or someone is talking. We learn from Eliezer that he sat in silence watching if he had found the right person. All the letters in the word, “silent” can be rearranged to spell the word, “listen.” When we take time to be silent, we can hear and perceive the answer more clearly. Our awareness is heightened, and we may become aware of a solution that we had not even seen before.
The Presencing Institute at MIT has conducted research that shows the quality of our results comes from the function of our awareness. Don’t skip over time for silence, awareness and listening when seeking discernment for a decision. You might find it to be the most valuable step in the process.
Gratitude for Clarity Received
When you gain clarity with a decision, do you charge forward with action? Or, do you review all of your options making sure that this is the right decision? Eliezer did neither of the above. His first response to having clarity was a response of gratitude. He spent time being thankful that he had received an answer.
Discernment is not something you do; It is something you receive. Discernment is a process that goes beyond yourself as an individual. You may have received input from others or maybe an opportunity came at the right time that brought you to clarity. Gratitude helps us to reflect on how we found the answer, to see beyond ourselves and to celebrate.
Share your Story of Clarity
Along with being thankful for receiving clarity for a right decision, we also need to use that gratitude to tell the story of how you gained clarity. When Eliezer found the right woman, he shared his story of discernment with her family. This then allowed others to confirm if the decision seemed right to them and it also gave opportunity for them to join him in the decision.
Many of the choices we make impact others. If you think you found the right solution, but no one else joins you, you may still be stuck. When you discern a direction with a decision, share it with others for their response. Sharing with them how you gained clarity helps them to join in the process. What is their feedback? Do they have added insights that help to confirm what you are seeing? When people feel a part of the process, they are more likely to join with you in implementing the solution.
Take Action
Once you receive clarity, you need to take action. If you have poor eyesight, glasses can help you read. But if you don’t take action to read, you won’t learn anything and the glasses are worthless. When Eliezer knew that he had found the right person and everyone was in agreement, he left immediately to complete his mission.
When the clarity is received, don’t second guess yourself and delay. Allow the gratitude, the confirmation of others and the celebration of receiving clarity, propel you to action and complete your mission.
Where are you seeking discernment with a decision right now? How could you apply this process?