Light and Discernment

Seeds are amazingly intelligent at discerning light. 

Seeds are miraculous little capsules of life. Inside their shell is everything a new plant needs to grow. A seed is covered by a tough shell that protects it from being digested by animals or from being opened at the wrong time. Once the protective shell is cracked, there is a small window of time before the seed spoils. The seed carefully measures when to risk everything and break open its shell. It waits for the time when it will have the best chance to thrive. 

 The seed waits, surrounded by dark, decaying remains of former life. If the seed were to focus on what is dark, it would never grow. The seed perceives light piercing the darkness. Its focus must be on the light and pushing past the darkness. 

Seeds are a good example of focusing on light and truth. I need many reminders to focus on Jesus' love and the many blessings from Him. 

 In a garden in the springtime, it is amazing to see tiny seedlings pushing against the soil to reach for light. The seed knows its leaves will need to go up for light and its roots will reach downward into the soil. How does it know which way to send leaves and which way to send roots? The seed is intelligently measuring for light and making decisions about which way to grow. It is amazing that a tiny seed is oriented to light and dark, and that it knows up from down.

Some seeds wait for the right soil conditions, or the alkaline ashes of a forest fire to grow, sometimes they wait 50 or 60 years for the conditions to be right for blooming. The mountains around our home were destroyed by a fire several years ago. The following summer, the areas with ashes from the fires were covered with wild mallows, beautiful pink and white blossoms that looked like fairy wings healing the burnt forest. Mallow is an herb that you would put on a burn wound because it is wonderfully healing. The flowers had waited many years to bloom. 

A seed also measures temperature. If the seed blooms in winter, the frost may kill it. If it blooms in the heat of summer, its tender new growth may get scorched and killed by the heat. Some seeds require a cold winter period before they'll grow. Seeds can tell the difference between a couple of warm days in winter and the arrival of spring. They can count how many days of winter they've had, and decide if the time is right to grow.

Seeds measure for moisture; they know to grow their roots towards water. Experiments have shown that plants will send their roots toward water. Even if there is no water, only the sound of water, plants will send their roots towards the sound of water. Seeds perceive and react to sound. Seeds and plants are always gathering information, measuring, evaluating, and deciding. They respond to their environment with amazing intelligence.

A seed can sense who its neighbors are and if the plant neighbors will create a hostile or friendly growing environment. Some plants will aggressively grow roots to prevent other plants from growing. Other plants, like sunflowers, can tell if their neighboring plants are family members. When they sense a family member, they politely keep their roots in their own zone to not interfere with their family member's growth. When placed closely together, sunflower plants will rotate their leaves so as not to shade their sunflower neighbor's leaves- showing behavior that recognizes and prioritizes the needs of others. Plants respond to their environment with intelligence and intention. The book, "Light Eaters" by Zoe Schlanger, describes these plant characteristics in delightful detail. 

A seed is tiny but very capable of discerning so many facets of its environment. It can decide when to grow and in what direction to grow. After all, it only has one chance at life. Misjudging where to put its energy could be deadly. You and I have one chance at this life, too, and discerning how to direct our energy is vital.

Seeds and plants might have intelligence that surpasses ours in some ways. They know how to judge between light and dark and reach for light. They know about waiting patiently, making the most of their circumstances, and thriving where they're planted. They take correction, like pruning and other setbacks, and continue growing upward. They don't have the option of moving to another location, and they persistently stretch upward for more light wherever they are.

Light and dark have always been present, and being able to tell them apart has always been very important. Differentiating light from dark is important for seeds, and separating light from dark was a beginning step in creation. 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness." Genesis 1:1-4

I love how these verses describe God creating light by speaking. God is the source of all light. It is awesome that the Creator of the world wants us to talk to Him and wants to be part of our lives. He is accessible to each one of us.

At times, I have not been able to clearly tell light from dark and or truth from error. It is part of growing. Sorting out light from dark involves gathering available information, evaluating, watching for patterns, measuring, studying, and discerning. Persistently and humbly seeking more truth and light is part of growth.

One time, I was praying about some challenges that felt hard. It was springtime, and I was on a walk. The Lord drew my attention to the pink flowering peach trees, and told me how much he loved the fruit trees that accept pruning as part of life. Trees and nature recognize the workings of their Creator. 

Jesus compared faith to a seed. When Jesus cast out a demon that his disciples couldn't cast out, they asked, "Why couldn't we cast it out?" And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say unto this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."  Matthew 17: 19-21

Jesus mentions overcoming unbelief, prayer, and fasting as keys to miracles. 

Jesus referred to the miracle contained in a seed. Both a seed and faith in God require sustained work and effort to discern what is light and the courage to reach for more light. Both seeds and faith require tough shells to be cracked open. Our unbelief is our tough shell. 

Another word for unbelief is distrust. There are definitely areas of my life where I know the Lord has helped me, and then there are other areas where I wonder where God is and if he is aware of the chaos. Am I trusting God even when there's chaos and I can't see Him? 

I am trying to have faith in God in challenges that feel chaotic and remember that God always works things out for us. 

Faith is looking for God's light and focusing on Him when darkness is around us. It requires being grounded in humility, being willing to take correction, and reaching for God every day. Like the seed that intentionally reaches for light, we have to intentionally direct our energy, time, and focus to where it will be best spent, where it will yield the desired fruit. Like a growing seed, faith is persistently pushing through the darkness and reaching for light and truth. 

One of the tactics of the adversary is to claim that there is no difference between light and dark or truth and error. The adversary would have us believe there is no need for discernment. Good and evil have been turned upside down by political correctness. There are plenty who reassure us that the thinking will be done by those more capable- government experts, church scholars, and well-educated doctors. Phrases like "follow your leaders," and "doubt your doubts," and "trust the science" discourage genuinely honest questions and evaluation. 

My husband always says, "Truth does not fear investigation", and "Light is the best disinfectant." He is good at asking lots of questions and discerning. I really value how much he loves the truth and his willingness to study and find the truth, though at first, his questioning of everything was not something I was accustomed to. 

God placed his intelligence in nature around us, like seeds and flowers. They can discern light from dark and know where to put their energy for growth. 

Choices between light and dark may seem inconsequential, and some would tell us our lifestyle and choices don't really matter. But in private, the battle between light and dark can be personal, painful, and so destructive. 

One of my friends says that the best thing her father taught her is that everyone she knows will disappoint her at some point. The only person who will never disappoint you and who you can always count on is Jesus. That is so true!

Not long ago, I  was very discouraged to learn that a person I trusted made devastating choices that betrayed their family relationships. They presented themself as a spiritual person while their private life was in ruins due to their choices. I happened to witness the infidelity and deception firsthand, unfortunately. I have witnessed this a handful of times recently. The same pitfalls can affect any of us- giving in to physical appetites for sin, seeking praise and honors of men, and seeking to control others. None of us is immune to giving in to sin.

This time, I couldn't believe how something so destructive happened, so I spent some time writing down what I learned from the experience. How could I avoid doing what my friend did? How could I be more discerning of my friends? How had I missed seeing this? 

One morning in that period just before waking up, I felt a nudge that I believe was from God. It was a reminder that a clue to my questions was in the first 2 great commandments. The first commandment is to love God. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. 

What a relief it is that God is not asking me to do things that are beyond my abilities. Just love God and love others. Loving God is easy because He is so good to us, always providing for and watching over us. He created a beautiful world for us to enjoy. He has carried me through every difficulty and turning point in my life. We have thousands of reasons to love God. When it comes to loving others, the first and most important place to start is my immediate family. 

 Am I loving God? Am I loving my family?  The person I should evaluate most carefully is myself. Jesus' words and His Spirit give me direction and light. Are there dark, hidden corners of my heart that need more of His light?

I want to touch on one topic that can make discernment unclear for Christians. This subject can make it hard for Christians to tell up from down, light from dark. Jesus told us to forgive as He forgives us. Letting go of the hurt and bitterness, and focusing on God and light is part of personal healing.

However, forgiveness can be misapplied by Christians. When Jesus tells us to forgive as He does, Jesus forgives those who turn to him and seek to restore their relationship with Him. There is always a turning towards a restored, healed relationship with God (repentance) in connection with forgiveness. This is neglected by much of Christianity when forgiveness is taught. Often, we hear forgiveness with no mention of repentance. This places an unfair burden on those hurt by abuse, placing on them the expectation of restoring a peaceful relationship without any effort from the other party. When God says to forgive as He does, God's forgiveness of us is conditional on our turning to Him in humility and repentance. The price Jesus paid for our sins is too precious; it came at too high of a cost to not require our hearts to be turned toward Him before receiving forgiveness. 

Sometimes those who have been hurt are admonished against setting boundaries after their painful experiences. If they set up boundaries, they're accused of being unforgiving, bitter, judgmental, and overly sensitive. They may be told they're unchristian. If they haven't forgotten what happened, they are told they're living in the past. They are encouraged to forgive and expected to forget what happened or pretend it never happened. People I care about have said all of those things to me when I set a boundary, and you may have heard many of them as well. It is the nature of living in a world that is not accustomed to truth, a fallen world. However, this misunderstood concept of forgiveness can shut down discernment and set the stage for additional abuse. 

How dishonest and damaging this misapplied teaching is. Forgiveness is important, but it is connected to humility, repentance, and the desire for a restored relationship. Real forgiveness does not put you in a harmful situation again or prevent you from setting safe boundaries. We are meant to learn and gain wisdom from all of our experiences.  

The expectation of forgiveness without honesty creates more distance, alienation, and hurt- the opposite of a restored relationship. Real forgiveness includes seeking a more honest and accountable relationship and healing. If the other party is not capable of an honest discussion, forgiveness involves being more honest and accountable with yourself, and recognizing what is not good for your spirit.

The one time in scripture when forgiveness was not tied to repentance was when Jesus was being crucified. Jesus asked Heavenly Father to forgive those who were crucifying him. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Meaning the soldiers who crucified him)" Luke 23:34. Jesus sacrifice was needed for our sake. How thankful I am for Jesus love and forgiveness of me. It is truly a precious gift, and it changed the trajectory of my life 100%.

Another block to discernment is society's definition and expectation of tolerance. The meaning of the word "tolerance" is to accept something that, on the inside, feels wrong. If it weren't wrong to you, you wouldn't need to tolerate it; instead, you would openly welcome it. The word tolerance is used to get people to accept what they wouldn't accept otherwise. The next time tolerance comes up, carefully evaluate the ideas and beliefs that are being encouraged. If someone tells you to not question things, that is probably the time you should be questioning everything. 

God placed his light everywhere in nature. A seed is intelligent and discerning. It can tell light from dark, and knows that it must reach for light. A seed can tell which way is up and which way is down. It measures temperature, it counts the days of winter so that it knows when to grow. A seed can discern if the soil conditions are favorable, and if it will have good neighbors.  A seed knows to send its roots towards water. It can discern the sound of running water and react to sound. If God gave a little seed so many ways to measure and evaluate how to grow, He gave you what you need to be discerning as well. 

God placed intelligence, wisdom, and the courage to fight for light in tiny seeds. He placed these gifts in you and me as well. 

We are intended to use the gifts of reason, thinking, the experiences, faith, and the Spirit that God has given us! Be extra cautious around those who discourage honest questions or who use forgiveness as a tool for manipulation. Don't let anyone prevent you from using the God given gift of discernment! God gave you the ability to think critically, evaluate, and discern light from dark because your survival and well-being depend on using these gifts. 

Focusing on God and his light is what gives us the strength to push past the darkness we all encounter. I hope that our faith in God can be like the mustard seed, and that it grows to the point it can move mountains. Our faith, hope, and joy are in Jesus. He is the light in the darkness.

Last fall, we were facing a major surgery with our daughter; it felt difficult and scary. It was sobering for a long time before the surgery; it broke our hearts to know that lots of pain and a hard recovery were ahead of her. Someone I follow shared this verse in an email, and it helped me focus on God's light.

“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;  And to him who sets his way properly I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23

Those last words about seeing the salvation of God hit me. God's salvation was something I desperately needed in a situation that felt out of control and so unfair. This verse helped me look for the blessings, the things to be thankful for. It refers to thanksgiving as a sacrifice; it can be hard to be thankful in the middle of a trial. Yet the promise at the end of the verse is that when we offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, it opens the door to seeing the salvation of God. 

We kept that in our thoughts as we prepared for the surgery. It was still very difficult, and there is still processing to be done by both of us. After the surgery, I was amazed at how God generously provided for us every needful thing. My daughter and I wrote down some of the blessings before coming home from the hospital. We received so many wonderfully thoughtful gifts of love and care. Feelings of grief, love, joy, and faith were all more present. We are still making sense of it all- both the ups and the downs of it. I was surprised at God's abundant love and care in every detail. He carried us through it. It gave me more confidence that whatever comes, Jesus will be there to help us through it. He has always been there for us, and He will always be there. I am so grateful for God's help and loving care!