The NFL Draft isn’t until April 25th, but the draft season is officially underway now that the NFL Scouting Combine has taken place. As a result, every draft prospect continues to be evaluated, scouted, and profiled, according to what teams see on their college game film, how they performed during drills at the combine, and what they do at their upcoming Pro Days. During the buildup to the draft, players will continue to be interviewed by coaches, GMs, and the media, which reveals their personalities and the type of people they are. The process players go through leads to everyone making judgments about each of them and how they think they will do on the next level. Every year, teams decide what players to draft and when to draft them, based on how they judge each prospect. What separates the top teams and elite general managers from the ones who make costly mistakes are the ones who most often make the right judgments about the players they choose to draft. They also make the right call with the direction to take the team or what positions to emphasize in each draft. No GM is perfect, but some have developed the ability to discern and judge rightly who the best players are and what is the right decision for their team. Discernment is defined as “the ability to judge well,” “make a smart judgment about something,” or “a wise way of judging between things, or a particularly perceptive way of seeing things.” As important as it is for GMs to have discernment if they want to thrive in selecting the right players, when it comes to our own lives as followers of Jesus we need discernment to know the best things to do and not do, what direction is God’s best, and to make the right decisions about people. We often choose to be judgmental about people, but this can be self-righteous, critical, and mean, ultimately leading to misjudgment. That’s why we need to ask God to give us discernment instead. He can help us understand others so we can know how to love them well, figure out what’s really going on with them, and know when some people or situations should be avoided. We need the ability to discern and humbly judge rightly, which is a gift from God. Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson writes, “For the only worthwhile discernment we possess is that which we receive in union with Christ, by the Spirit, through God‘s Word.” To thrive with discernment in all areas of our lives, we must be in sync with the Holy Spirit, walk in obedience, pray, study God’s Word, and abide in Christ. As we discern God’s will, we will know and follow His commands, and allow Him to guide us in making the right decisions and wise judgments. Romans 12:2 (ESV) says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God is the One who knows all and His way is perfect, so let’s continue to seek Him and listen to Him as we develop more effective discernment. Today, let’s pray these two important prayers: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…” (Philippians 1:9-10; ESV). “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes” (Psalm 119:125; NIV). I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray You give me discernment so that I can make the right decisions and judge rightly. Help me love people well and know how best to serve and encourage them. Help me to see things through a spiritual and Biblical lens, with Your perspective, as I trust in Your guidance. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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