26 July 2020
Audio version
Solomon said to the Lord,
“Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil.”
From 1 Kings 3: 5-7, 7-12
Discernment is often seen as decision-making and it certainly has an important place in that. But whereas we can sometimes make snap-decisions, it is not possible to make a snap-discernment. Discernment takes longer because it needs time to balance the evidence before us. This is what Solomon was asking for at the beginning of his long reign. He was aware of his limitations and knew that he needed the gift of wisdom to be able to govern God’s people. We do not have the weighty responsibilities facing Solomon but we do have a responsibility to discern what is good and evil in our daily lives. By practising discernment in the small things, we are better-placed when faced with much weightier ones.
- What skills do we need to discern between good and evil?
- How can we develop those skills and gain confidence in our discernments?
Imagine yourself in a similar conversation to the one Solomon had with God – with God asking what you feel you need. How would you discern your response? And what might it be?
