Spirituality: What is It?
In the previous post I wrote the being spiritual means to listen. But the second, and equally important characteristic of spirituality is discernment.
Discernment is not the same as judgmentalism or a critical nature. Discernment is "testing the spirits" as we are admonished in scriptures. A person can be discerning and kind, discerning and tolerant (in the right sense), but also discerning and careful and wise.
Discernment means being able to see the root of something, whether it is an idea or an emotion. Where does the belief have its origin? What caused the person to feel that emotion.
A colleague and I were discussing our spring breaks. She said she would see her mother-in-law--we discussed that, laughingly. She said, "You know, I finally realized that when someone is rude to me, most of the time it has nothing to do with me. It's a pre-existing condition for them." So true. Unfortunately, it is also often a permanent condition for them. But why? Discernment doesn't stop at identifying the condition, but realistically understanding the reason for it.
Discernment is not the same as judgmentalism or a critical nature. Discernment is "testing the spirits" as we are admonished in scriptures. A person can be discerning and kind, discerning and tolerant (in the right sense), but also discerning and careful and wise.
Discernment means being able to see the root of something, whether it is an idea or an emotion. Where does the belief have its origin? What caused the person to feel that emotion.
A colleague and I were discussing our spring breaks. She said she would see her mother-in-law--we discussed that, laughingly. She said, "You know, I finally realized that when someone is rude to me, most of the time it has nothing to do with me. It's a pre-existing condition for them." So true. Unfortunately, it is also often a permanent condition for them. But why? Discernment doesn't stop at identifying the condition, but realistically understanding the reason for it.
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