Discernment and Sincerity

     Discernment ~ I have been told by my good friend Lynne at church that  I have the gift of discernment.  I tryed to define that to myself.  I consider it to be a deep feeling or gut feeling of right and wrong in a situation.  An instinct of how things should go or be.  I looked for this word in the bible concordance.  The NIV note says this:  "The Greek word means moral or ethical understanding based on both the intellect and the senses.  The word implies perception or insight into social situations."  So I guess my own feeling on what it means was pretty close. 
The place in the Bible where the verse is found is

 Phillipians 1:9

"And this I pray that  your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." 

 

     Being such a sensitive spirit, I tend to spend so much time trying to gauge others feelings.  I look at their facial expressions, stance and attitude and try to figure them out.  It can be exhausting.  Especially when I really care about someone and they are unhappy.  I want to make them feel better or fix it.  And with some people, who I won't name, I can't figure them out or I get a feeling of unease around them.  This can be so uncomfortable to me so much so that my spirit feels heavy.  Then I try to protect myself from that feeling and wont get too close. 

     Then I looked at the part in the verse that says "that you may be sincere and without offense".  This is what I struggle with because if I can't love someone or don't trust them, then I find it difficult to be sincere in praying for them or seeing them as you do Jesus!  So I must continually place them at your feet Lord!  And trust that someday I may feel YOUR love for them.

 

     The note in my NIV bible on sincere reads as follows:

Sincere ~ this term literally meaning "judged by sunlight" does not mean "honestly trying hard" but rather pure, unmixed and free from falsehood.  Any spot in a garment could be seen by holding the object up to the sunlight.

    

 I want to love more and better.  I don't want to be forever protecting myself from people and situations.  I guess I spend a lot of time evaluating people which might be considered judging them Lord.  Help me not to be so judgemental.  But to evaluate on who needs you the most so that I can be their friend, love and pray for them!

     Let my sincerity be the kind that when I hold it up to the light, it is clean and bright and beautiful!  In Jesus name.  Amen.