Discernment
Last week, I wrote about the “wicked woman.” The kind of woman who features as a villainess in the Bible, but goes far beyond the ultra-cool female villains glorified by Disney, especially in recent pop culture. We’re talking about women who encouraged the sacrifice of living babies, sexual orgies and wild promiscuity, and murder for profit or out of pettiness.
It sounds far-fetched, especially in our country. This kind of thing wouldn’t happen in the US, would it?
Except we do sacrifice our children - people do it all the time. We may not surrender their lives to false priests and false idols, but plenty of parents sacrifice their children’s freedom, lives, and mental/physical health to their own idols of ambition and greed. Or because they are chased by demons of fear and insecurity.
I think we can all agree that when it comes to encouraging sexual depravity and immorality, the US features near the top of the list of countries that justify and normalize that kind of behavior. We encourage earnest, intellectual, conversations about how people need the freedom to cheapen ourselves - to harm ourselves emotionally and physically, and allow others to use, abuse, and take advantage of us. We act as if we’re breaking new ground, but none of it is new. Prostitution isn’t new, desperation isn’t new. Being friendless, without family or support, and having no boundaries, dignity, or knowledge of your true value isn’t new. The state of a culture where schools and media are permitted to solemnly impress upon young people their duty to live in this manner is not even new. This was the religion of Jezebel, who worshipped Baal, a nature god who is considered to be one of Satan’s early historical manifestations.
In the age of keyboard warriors, many people have become bloodthirsty, heady with the newfound power to call for people to lose their jobs, their businesses, their livelihood. To jeopardize their safety, as people’s identities, addresses, and phone numbers are revealed to thousands over the Internet. We relish the thrill of taking from others, for punishing them for displeasing us. We justify attacks on people who have committed a shortlist of offenses, that a malcontented minority have declared worse than all others.
It takes discernment to hear the will of God in our lives. Clarity doesn’t come overnight.
Hold on. What am I even talking about, on a dating site?
I’m talking about wickedness. So that we can talk about good. And so we can talk about discernment, which is categorized as a spiritual gift.
I believe that discernment is a survival skill for Christians.
When our hearts and minds aren’t attuned to what God wants for us, things get cloudy. It gets harder to see ourselves and others clearly. We stray farther from what God has planned for our lives. How does He want to use your talents? Where does He want you to be? Who does He want you to work with?
It takes discernment to hear the will of God in our lives. Clarity doesn’t come overnight.
Nowadays, we celebrate our dysfunction and hold up the symptoms as badges of pride.
Nowadays, we celebrate our dysfunction and hold up the symptoms as badges of pride. Needing a coffee first thing in the morning, because I wasn’t able to put down my device and go to sleep at a decent hour. Needing a drink at the end of the night, because I ran myself ragged with a job that stresses me out. Not leaving myself enough time or energy to pursue a healthy outlet of relaxation. Skipping meals, or over-eating. Being grumpy, being stressed out…hating this, hating that. It’s normal to have something wrong with us all the time. We don’t walk around saying: “I got enough sleep, I love my job, I’m taking care of my body. I got to spend time with great people today, and I’m going to bed with a heart full of gratitude. Thank you, Lord!”
But that should be our goal. The closer we get to that goal, the easier it is to see who is right for us, and who is not. I’m not just talking about relationships and marriage. This applies to friendships, business partnerships, and employers. If we’re not standing where God wants us to be, it’s hard to see when others are standing where God doesn’t want us to be.
It’s time to stop pursuing women based on whether they are “Pretty” or “Not Pretty.” Don’t put your life, and the lives of your future children, into the hands of just any woman who’ll entertain you. Seek discernment and join circles that include females who strive to live in a healthy, Godly fashion. I’m not saying that pheromones and physical attraction aren’t also gifts that God has given us, to help us identify our mates. But when all we rely on is animal instinct, what we end up with can be a wild mess.
The woman you choose to approach may not accept you as her date, her boyfriend, or her husband. But if she does, she may be the mother of your children. She may be a daughter-in-law to your parents, wielding influence over their comfort and happiness in their later years. She will stand by your side when facing your friends, your co-workers, and the world at large. So make it your mission this year to learn to see a little more clearly into the hearts of women, and a lot more clearly into your own.
Make it your mission this year to learn to see a little more clearly into the hearts of women, and a lot more clearly into your own.
