People have often mentioned to me that I am gifted in the area of discernment. I can often see or feel things that are intangible ? sense moods, emotion and can easily distinguish between true and false in situations?in conversations, environments, and attitudes. When someone is feeling ?off? or upset, it usually comes across clearly to me, and sometimes without even knowing I can guess why out of seemingly nowhere. It?s a little creepy sometimes, but in a good way.
Also being very ?feely? (I?m an INFP) I tend to base a lot of decisions off of how I feel about something rather than logic or common sense. Sometimes it works out great. And other times?well, not so much. Something I constantly ask myself is, ?Is this just a feeling or is it the truth??
Today has been an ultra-sensitive day for some reason. I feel as if I?m swimming in a sea of the unseen ? everybody?s thoughts and feelings. There is one area in my life right now where I am feeling extremely insecure based on the way certain people act towards me or respond towards me. I?m feeling inadequate in my talents and gifting. Some things that are happening around me are making my discernment ?red? flag go up.
But is it just a feeling? Or is it the truth? Am I being discerning?or am I being deceived? How far can I trust my inclinations?
So?I pray for wisdom. I guess that?s all I can do.
Comments
5 responses to “Discerning or Deceived?”
if multiple people are consistently telling you that you are gifted in a particular area (as long as the people are wise and not smoking crack :)), i’d be inclined to trust that it’s probably a real gift. i think God definitely gives some people a real gift of insight into the lives of others (sometimes just a supernaturally strong sense of empathy, sometimes even messages, though i know that sounds crazy to some) in order to serve, encourage, and bless people. maybe you have that… there are some really good spiritual gifts inventories out there if you’re interested… as far as how to tell if in individual instances it’s something from God or something you made up, some advice i’ve heard is to offer insights you get tentatively. ‘i had this thought, is it ok if i share it or pray for you in this way?’ ‘i feel like i’m supposed to say this, but it might be the pizza i ate last night…’ etc. i think it’s one of those ‘ask for forgiveness rather than for permission’ types of things. i’m an infp (or maybe infj, depending on the situation :)), too, and have had similar kinds of experiences. until getting some helpful training on praying for others, i never would have thought it was a ‘God thing.’ i always would have thought it was just natural giftings or the way i was wired. but the more i learn about spiritual gifts and strengths and personality types, the more i see correlations, and the more i think that maybe God just knew what He was doing when He made us, on every level. and maybe He designed us that way on purpose… just something to think about… (not that i have it figured out at all. much to the contrary…)
Oh my goodness, how I resonate with your thoughts and expressions here! I too am an INFP and I could repeat much of what you described here. Deep feeler, often swimming entirely in the intangible emotions and sensations all around me. But my giftings seem obscure to me… not always sure what to do with all the hyper-sensitive tendrils that take in the pulse of the life around me. But I say to you, KEEP FEELING! Take note of the red flags and then move through the situations accordingly. I probably can’t say much that you haven’t already thought through, but I will add this — be bold. Often I experience my intution as God’s voice. Sometimes it’s us sensitive feelers that are needed to cut through a tense situation or get right to the heart of something. I’ve been too timid in the past, overwhelmed by the input flooding my soul, but I’m learning how to wield my sensitivity. Okay, probably shouldn’t try to think deep thoughts at 2 am! What have you figured out?
i will be praying for your wisdom too.
i love you,
tracy
Anne, The NT you shouldn’t be too worried about being 100% right all the time with this. The NT speaks about weighing and testing prophetic words. So if you feel strongly about something, share it with the people involved and ask them to pray about it and weigh what you are saying and see if God confirms it or not to them.
…thought i “stumbled” onto your site from the Kingdom Blog…but now i think it wasn’t a stumble as this post totally resonates with me. often have similar feelings (also an INFP) and sometimes try to chalk it up to me just being a little weird–even though i believe God has been revealing to me that it is more than that. on saturday, i was in a cafe bustling with holiday shoppers and i “felt” so much…watching all these people and seeing them as individuals–not just a mob of hungry, over-caffeinated people. i’m not always sure what to do with it either–but like you i pray for wisdom. thanks for your honesty.