Decision vs. Discernment

Decision (n) – 1. The act of making up one’s mind

2. Judgment, determination

Discern (v) - 1. To perceive by sight or the mind

2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different

When facing choices, whether easy or difficult, do you set your mind to decide or discern what is best?

I found myself praying and mulling over some upcoming choices with the Lord this week. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit works in a way that separates my ears and mouth. What I mean by this is that I’ll hear something I say in prayer and have an immediate reaction upon hearing the words, as if I am not the one who spoke them. And so this week I prayed, “Lord, please help me to decide and discern what is best. I’m not sure I have enough info and I need your help to make the right decision.” Immediately, I was convicted of the difference between seeking to decide and seeking to discern.

Before I dive into the superlative nature of discernment over decision, let me first give merit to proper decision. A hymn that I love says, “I have decided to follow Jesus,” and it is both beautiful and accurate. As Christians, we have decided many things. First, we have decided to follow Jesus. We have since decided to put on the armor of God and fight sin. We have further decided to take up our cross daily and welcome sanctification. And we may have even made many life decisions, such as where to live, work, go to church, have relationships, and general lifestyle choices. However, in these latter things, the discernment mindset is superior to the decision mindset.

Heb 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Another quick disclaimer for those of similar temperaments to me and in order to be thorough: finding the dividing line between decision and discernment is very difficult and the lines will often seem blurred instead of clear. Thanks to God that we have His Word, which is sharper than any double edged sword, dividing truth and error, joints and marrow, outward actions or the most subtle inward thoughts. It is a broad sword and a surgeon’s scalpel all in one, lopping off the head of the evil one and also discerning the most subtle truths of God and man. Therefore, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to divide to the uttermost precision differences in attitudes and behaviors such as the decision and discernment mindsets.

Note that decision and discernment, though different, are often overlapped in space and time. For instance, you must first decide to pursue discernment. And once you have discerned, you have the decision to obey God or not obey. Decision in the absence of discernment is the source of catastrophe, both personal and sociological. It is the folly of man to make decisions without the wisdom of God. However, decision with discernment at the helm is the source of living and leading in God’s will. I encourage you to set out to discern God’s very mind, His good and pleasing will, then simply decide to follow what He reveals as His will.

The key truth here is that the decision mindset carries within it the sense of one’s self and will. If “I” make a decision, then “I” have chosen what “I” think is best, regardless of the complexity and how selfless my criteria might be. The key is that I am placing the emphasis on my analysis, logic, and wisdom by regarding anything as “my decision.” Compare this to submission or subordination, where I follow the wishes of another who has made the decision. In this case of submission, I am merely following and not deciding anything myself, except to obey the orders, no matter what measure of analytical skill or logical thinking abilities I may have. Any abilities or judgments of my own are irrelevant in that situation because the decision is not mine to be made, except to obey.

I often set myself into deep thought and analysis to thoroughly consider a situation, decipher facts from misleading fictions, trying to consider all affected parties, and determine the greatest utility between option A or B for the entire framework of affected parties. I know that whichever option can be most pleasing and useful for our Lord is the best, and so I seek to make the best decisions for His will. This is a seemingly noble approach, especially since God has equipped us to learn the Word and live in the Spirit to make good decisions; but when we have listened to the Word or the Spirit, I submit that we have done less deciding and instead, more discerning. Think about it: God already foresaw this decision, and in fact, he has placed it directly in front of you to make this very choice, such that in doing so you grow closer to Him and glorify His name. He knows your affinities, your tendencies, your weaknesses and strengths. He knows to what degree you listen to Him and to what degree you do not. And He already knows the very best “decision.” Now, if your God is with you wherever you go (Matt 28:20) and seeks to speak truth to you and guide you unto all truth (John 16:13), and has all powerful wisdom in all things, and tells us that if we ask we will receive (Matt 7:7-9, Luke 11:9-10), then why in the world would we try to make any component of any “decision” without hearing from Him and choosing His choice in obedience, regardless of how we’ve analyzed it ourselves?

In view of these truths, it is clear that the answer is in seeking His face and discerning His will, not in making a decision. The decision has already been made in Heaven! God’s wants option X! Do you perceive it? How can you be sure that your decision matches His will? The only answer is discernment. And in addition, the seeking to discern God’s will is as much his very will as the specific choice that He desires. Anything less than fully seeking Him in discernment, combined with making the correct choice (obeying His will), is less than His perfect will. Discernment without choosing what God chooses is disobedience. And choosing what God chooses without purposefully setting out to discern His will is His divine providential mercy and accomplishes His physical purposes, but has left us void of the glory of pursuing Him as He wills (We are apt to credit our own logical and analytical abilities in that situation, a dangerous place to be. Even the evil kings of the old testament and every evil man since has been used to fulfill God's purposes.). Furthermore, every good decision ever made by any man was either discernment coupled with obedience or God’s sovereign guiding hand. The former is God’s preferred will and the latter is His allowed will. The former is growth in relationship with God, yet the latter can lead us away from Him personally, as we become more self-reliant...even though in the good decision the physical happenings remain squarely within His sovereign will, our attitude of not seeking Him first leads to greater distance from Him. Therefore, we must both be seeking discernment and and following it with obedience to walk in God’s will.

You see, even though the approach of wanting to make our best decision seems noble, it is like a child who has been sent to the grocery store to pick up a key ingredient for the dinner that their parent is preparing. If the child initially seeks their parent’s guidance and upon hearing that there is a missing ingredient, immediately sets out to retrieve the item without hearing the specific instruction about which item is missing, the child is likely to miss the mark. Now, what an amazing instaneous response of service! What a heart to please their parent! Much like Peter, immediate action shows a good heart, but not necessarily wisdom in the action or decision. Sometimes, we don’t listen closely enough to our Father to hear the rest of the instruction, to discern His specific will. Suddenly, we find ourselves needing to make a decision, and though we may be skilled decision makers, how can that replace discerning the exact will of God?

I do not mean to split hairs here, so to speak, but I do intend to divide joints and marrow, truth and error, and I have found within me a source of error when I have considered big choices a matter of decision making instead of a matter of discernment seeking. The difference is somewhat self reliance versus complete dependence on God. If even a grain of sand’s worth of self-reliance is left in me, it must die, and the same is true for you. Not there yet? Take heart, it is a life-long journey that concludes in the perfection of Heaven for believers in Christ. But until then, let’s be on our way, let’s search out the great boulders or grains of sand of self-reliance and lack of faith in ourselves, confess to the Lord, and be refined for His purpose and glory, which is also our joy. I encourage you to take a challenge with me: the next time we find ourselves saying, either out loud or in our heads, “I need to make a decision” or “I’m not sure what to do,” instead replace those words with “I need to discern God’s will” or “I have not yet discerned God’s preference” in all sincerity. I believe that as we seek to commit our minds to discernment, we will not only find that God responds with true discernment and wisdom, but that we also have a peace in every choice, large and small, that we did not have before. May the God of all wisdom, all peace, all knowledge, all love, and all grace pour out His Spirit upon you this day with discernment for every decision and in all things. Amen.