Discernment

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives.” (Philippians 1:9-10 NLT)

I come from a line of Indians who have an uncanny knack for assessing the weight and purity of gold. As a young woman, I grew accustomed to relatives who would reach out and touch each other’s jewelry, weighing it in their hands to see if it was real gold or fake.

I don’t know much about gold, but I do have the ability to tell if a person is genuine or not. Most people are a blend of authenticity and inconsistency. I’ve come to realize that this is the norm and to take my time in getting to know them. Sometimes I sense that a person is disingenuous as soon as I meet him. I promptly start putting up defensive walls and pulling my loved ones away from him. In contrast, when I meet someone who is pure and golden, I immediately want to associate with  him and bask in his radiance.

I wish every one of us could understand what really matters and live pure blameless lives. But, until that happens, I pray that we may all develop the discernment to tell the difference between good and evil.