Clarifying the Difference Between Discernment and Wisdom—and Addressing Team Conflict Part I: Spiritual Gifts FAQs

Question: Can you say more about the difference between the gifts of Discernment and Wisdom, especially with regard to working out frustrations on a ministry team and discerning what is important to carry forward? [A question from a church youth ministry leader, edited for confidentiality by me.]

 

My response:

Discernment might be seen more as an awareness gift and Wisdom one of direction and clarity. Discernment often picks up on something that appears to others initially as easy to dismiss as “nothing” but will present a future problem when magnified forward—a sort of spiritual detection system. Wisdom is what sorts through all that awareness to a good course of action. Your team will need both the gifts of Discernment and of Wisdom as you move forward (as well as Leadership). If your team is lacking in these, inviting someone with these gifts to join you as a facilitator could help.

 

It will be important to discern the source of the frustration (is it really about differing gifts? Approach to life—people/task/structured/unstructured? A mix of the two? Lack of clarity on roles/responsibilities/expectations? The whole team or a conflict between just a few?). Wisdom is the gift then needed to chart the course forward—to find the way through all the things that Discernment may highlight to the crux of the matter—choosing what’s best to pursue first. (Leadership then leads out in this new direction.)

 

And, Scripture tells us that all of us can ask for wisdom and discernment from the Lord, especially in dealing with unclear or sticky situations. So, a concerted time in prayer together—confession, listening, hearing, asking, celebrating—will be essential, too.

 

See below for some additional resources.

 

Definitions that might help:

·         The spiritual gift of Discernment is the God-given ability, through His Holy Spirit, to distinguish between good and evil, truth and error, right and wrong, in a way that is helpful to the Body of Christ. People with the gift of discernment, as with the other gifts, are essential to the church’s life and ministry. These people provide much-needed insight, point out inconsistencies in the teaching of God’s Word, challenge deceitfulness in others, and help sort out impure motives from pure ones. This gift can be an intuitive sense that something is not right either in the words or actions of others. It can help others sift through healthy versus unhealthy relationships and commitments, identify spiritual warfare and the activity of the enemy, and point out deceit.

·         Those with the gift of Wisdom use God-given information by applying it to specific situations, providing guidance to individuals and the church. People with this gift typically can see the right course of action in the midst of otherwise confusing or overwhelming circumstances that paralyze others. Often, input from those with wisdom can shift a group’s direction or help guide someone toward greater clarity. The use of the gift of wisdom is less about authority and more about humility—rooted in truth and the guidance of the Spirit, which others usually recognize as such.

 

Other published articles on Discernment/Wisdom:

·         SPIRITUAL GIFTS FAQS #9

·         Discernment: Spiritual Gifts Definitions, Scriptures, and Ways to Serve

·         Wisdom: Spiritual Gifts Definitions, Scriptures, and Ways to Serve

·         DISCERNMENT AND EXHORTATION: GIFTS IN MINISTRY III

 

I am praying for this committed leader and for their team—that the Lord would be glorified in and through this process as they seek to follow Him—in unity—faithfully.

 

 

Check out the next post as I spend some time going a bit deeper into the “especially with regard to working out frustrations on a ministry team and discerning what is important to carry forward” portion of this leader’s question.

 

 

Important resources:

 

 

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, DIOS. DONES. TÚ.: Tu llamado y diseño único (Spanish Edition), and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping at her church.

 

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis. 

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Shirley Giles Davis