Debbie W. Wilson

Refreshing Faith

Search Results for: discernment

Discernment: Why You Need to Use Your God-Given Gift

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Are you using your discernment? When I was seven, my uncle brought his fiancé to meet the family. She was striking in appearance and wore a big smile. But something about her made me uneasy. “I don’t like her,” I confided to my mother.

After my uncle married, this woman’s cruel nature came out. My mother remembered my words and wondered if children pick up clues adults miss. I’ve thought about that when I’ve tried to talk myself out of uneasy feelings. Trusting feels loving. Believing the best seems kind. Yet, over the years, my instincts have often proven true.

How do you handle wary feelings? How do you respond when your child doesn’t like someone? Sometimes, well-intentioned parents tell their children, “Now, we’re supposed to love everyone,” incorrectly equating love with trust (Jn. 2:24).Continue Reading

3 Ways to Overcome the Challenge Discernment Brings

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When my children were young, I read them George MacDonald’s books The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie. Curdie was a lowly coal miner’s son with an extraordinary gift of discernment. A simple  handshake told him whether or not someone was who he appeared to be. Instead of a normal human palm, Curdie would feel an animal that represented the person’s character.

What a wonderful gift. Wouldn’t you like to know whether the interviewee is an industrious beaver or a leech before you hire her?

But what happens when your discernment reveals that someone you want to trust is really a snake? What happens when your insight puts you in the uncomfortable position of being misunderstood or makes you look like the bad guy?

In MacDonald’s story, when Curdie meets the queen’s doctor, he discovers why she is not getting better. Despite the doctor’s apparent devotion, his palm shows he’s a serpent.

Thus enters the problem of discernment. What can Curdie do with his understanding? Who will believe a coal miner’s son over the respected royal physician? How can he explain to those who trust the man’s loyal facade?Continue Reading

Wise People Don’t Believe the Best About Everyone

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“Debbie, thank you for your prayers. But we lost. Instead of looking at the man’s extensive record of abuse and drug addiction, the judge chose to believe the best. The man promised to do better, so the judge granted joint custody.”

Emotion choked me. How could this happen?

My years as a counselor opened my eyes to the lasting impact an abusive family holds over the children they raise. When adults use children as pawns to punish one another, the children suffer—sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Research shows childhood injuries can impact not only social and emotional health but also physical health. Continue Reading

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