Proverbs 2:11. discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
God guards our lives. He watches over us. Protects us. Guides us. How? Not with magic like some sort of fairy god-mother, or genie. God guards us by giving us wisdom. He keeps us safe by giving us discretion.
Discretion is the ability to think before you act. Do you have discretion? Or do you tend to be impulsive, speaking and acting without thinking first?
Discretion is the result of wisdom, the fear of the Lord. Knowing God and caring about what he cares about. Therefore, discretion isn’t just thinking before you act, it is thinking like God before you act. It is asking yourself what is the godly thing to do in this situation. It is praying before you make that decision, or vent those feelings. It is allowing the grace of God to enter into your heart before you respond to an enemy. It goes beyond morality by asking not only what is right and what is wrong, but also what is best. And discretion remembers the path principle choosing not only what is good in the moment, but also looking ahead to the course this decision will set me on.
Christ own discretion saved our lives. In the wilderness, as Jesus was tempted by Satan, he did not respond impulsively. Rather, he used his discretion. A discretion rooted in scripture and in faith. His discretion watched over him. He was able to resist the Devil’s attack because he had godly discretion – the ability to process things through the lens of his position with the Father. He trusted his Father rather than caving in to the temptation in front of him. And because he did we can share his reward, eternal life.
In Christ, we can live in this same discretion. Christ in us helps us to discern every situation, every trial, every temptation, to think, to trust. We too are filled up by the Spirit and full of the word of Christ, gospel truths that allow us to process life through God’s lens of unconditional love and acceptance, forgiveness and grace.
You: In what ways is discretion (thinking first before speaking or acting) difficult for you?
You in Christ: Christ’s discretion has saved us and given us his Spirit of wisdom. In what way must Jesus’ success be the starting point for our own discretion?
Christ in you: Begin a new habit of seeking Christ before you make decisions or vent your feelings.Be honest with him and let him apply his love to your heart first, before you act.
Pray: Father, truly I need your discernment to watch over me. Cause me to think about your deep love for me in Christ before I do anything foolish. Amen.
To Live is Christ 