We have featured several articles talking about the Wonder aspect of Discerning Wonder, but for the next few Mondays we are going to be exploring the importance of discernment. When you look up the definition of discernment, it is the ability to perceive or recognize someone or something. Having discernment is important in so many parts of our life.

The author of Proverbs actually emphasized the importance of this as well when he said:

“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.” (Proverbs 3:21-24 NLT)

I have heard many people make comments like “Common sense seems to be in short supply these days” or “It really seems like people don’t have common sense anymore” or even asking “What’s happened to common sense?” As much as it seems like this might be a new sign of our times, it really isn’t. As a very young child I remember hearing people describe others as “not having enough sense to come in out of the rain” and other such things. This is unfortunately a common aspect in life at times.

As much as we hear people talk about and lament an apparent lack of common sense, we don’t really hear as much discussion of discernment. In some ways common sense and discernment go hand in hand, but discernment goes even a little further. While common sense involves recognizing and applying seemingly basic truths and principles, discernment means being able to recognize or perceive deeper truths and understanding. You might say that common sense requires slowing down enough to think before you speak or act, but discernment requires slowing down enough to take time to observe, reflect, evaluate, learn from the past and recognize and apply important patterns and principles.

Maybe that’s why it often seems that common sense is lacking and why we barely even mention discernment. Both require us to slow down a bit. The world around us is so fast-paced. It seems like everyone is in a hurry, and there are so many things demanding our attention, so many things we feel like we need to get done. In our rush and hurry and fast-paced world, are we losing some important things? Jesus modeled the idea of slowing down for us in so many places in the Bible, including in Luke 5:15-16 where it says:

“But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”

It seems like the busier things got, the more Jesus would take time to slip away into the quiet and pray. That is itself a demonstration of discernment. We know the importance and benefits of rest, but with a lack of discernment we ignore it. We know the importance of time with God and learning to rely on Him and dwell in Him, but with a lack of discernment we ignore that too. Jesus was busy. Crowds were demanding attention. Disciples needed to be taught. Ministry needed to talk place. He had an important mission and a short amount of time, but Jesus had discernment. He knew that to accomplish what needed to be accomplished He needed rest, but more importantly He needed time with the Father so He could know and do the Father’s will.

If Jesus needed this, how much more so do we?  Being discerning begins by stopping long enough to take time to rest and dwell in God’s presence. In doing that we can begin to ask Him for guidance and discernment. When we are rested and pause to seeking God’s wisdom, we are in a much better position to begin to really see things in a way that allows us to exercise discernment.

You might be like me, and none of this sounds really new to you. We know that this is what we should be doing, but we still find it hard to actually find the time to slow down so we can dwell with God. Depending on the season of life we’re in, it can be really challenging to find the time and we might even worry about what will happen if we stop for a few minutes, but I want us to take a careful look at those verses from Proverbs 3 that we started out with:

“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.”

Do you see what we’re told happens when we choose to do what it takes to hang onto common sense and discernment? “They will refresh your soul.” “They keep you safe.” You won’t be so anxious as you try to fall asleep, and you will be able to sleep better.

Sometimes choosing to take time to do the hard, seemingly impossible, things are what set us up to be in a better place. My prayer for you today is that you will be able to discern ways to find moments with God and seek His discernment in your life.

As we’ve talked in the last few weeks about the importance of rest and identifying the things we need in our lives, it reminds me of the importance of taking time to reflect and evaluate in general. Reflecting on where we are and where we want to be going, maybe at times reflecting on the past, and especially reflecting on God’s Word are all helpful as we seek to be the healthiest people and leaders that we can be.


In Proverbs 27:19 is says:

“As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.”


This is a great reminder for us that our what is in our heart truly reflects who we are. Sometimes we think what’s in our heart is our secret, but what’s in our heart has a way of coming out. In fact in Luke 6:45 Jesus explained it this way:

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

When we find ourselves doing or saying things we don’t like, or more importantly that don’t honor and glorify God, then it’s probably time for some reflection to figure out what sort of unhealthy things have made their way into our hearts.


This idea of reflection or examination can be found throughout Scripture. In Lamentations 3:40, it is stated very directly:
“Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord.”
So not only to we need to take time to take a close look at what we’re doing, but I find that word “probe” very interesting. “Probe” gives us this great image of pushing back at and digging into what we are seeing. To get to the real heart of issues that we are dealing with, reactions that we are having, or why we suddenly seem angry or bitter, we need to do some probing. We need to dig to get to the root of the issue.


I don’t enjoying dealing with weeds in my yard, but I also don’t enjoy a yard full of weeds. Sometimes when I notice weeds, I can go pull them and they pull out fairly easily, roots and all and that’s not too bad. It takes some effort, but it’s worth it and the task is accomplished fairly painlessly. Other times though, even when the weed isn’t that big and doesn’t seem like that big of deal, I begin tugging on it only to discover that the roots are far more entrenched than it appears on the surface. A couple things tend to happen when I come across these type of weeds. If I realize how strong these roots are, I start pulling on the weed a little more carefully so that it doesn’t just break off the part that is showing and leave the roots. Sometimes this careful pulling allows me to sense where the most resistance is and adjust my approach so that I can slowly pull the entire weed and roots up successfully. This takes patience, though, and more effort, but it gets the job done. Other times though, if I don’t realize how deep the roots go right away, sometimes I end up pulling the top part of the weed off, but the roots remain intact. At that point I have a choice. I can begin tediously digging into the soil to try to find and remove the roots that remain, or I can decide that it’s good enough and cover up what remains underground hoping that it will just die off. If I choose the second approach, it rarely works because the weed almost always regrows and when it does the roots are even stronger and harder to remove. It often seems easier to choose that second approach though because the first one takes so much effort and I don’t want to bother, but in the long-run I’m just creating more problems and work because I delayed what needed to be done.


Hopefully, you see the connection here. Just like weeds make our yards become a mess, weeds in our hearts do the same, and weeds in our hearts require much of the same attention, effort, thought, and patience that weeds in our yard do. Here is another connection though: I can help prevent or at least limit the growth of the weeds in my yard if I take the time and effort to carefully and faithfully use a pre-emergent to cover the ground and keep the weeds from growing in the first place. Psalm 1:1-2 gives us insight on a pre-emergent that God gives us for the weeds that might want to grow in our hearts:
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”
Meditating, or giving focused thought, on God’s Word and delighting in it helps to prevent the weeds of life from taking root in our hearts. The more faithful we are with this and the more we apply it to our life, then the more it guards our hearts against the seeds of doubt, insecurity, bitterness, envy, angry and more that the evil one tries to sow.


One of the things with pre-emergent though is that it states that for best results existing weeds need to be cleared away. Just like with our yards, just spending time in the Word alone is not enough. We need to put in the work of careful, intentional, patient reflection to remove the weeds that have already taken root in our hearts as soon as we notice them. This definitely isn’t easy, but it is necessary for us to live the lives of freedom, abundance, service, purpose and calling that God desires for us.


James reminds us of the importance of this along with image of reflection in James 1:22-25 where it says:


“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual does, this man will be blessed in what he does.”


So when we start seeing signs that we’ve heard the word but aren’t doing it, it’s definitely time to put the Wonder of Reflection to work in our lives so we can start seeing and pulling the weeds to reveal the beautiful, strong hearts God has placed in us and clear up the reflection we’re showing the world. I pray you will take sometime today to begin to reflect on the condition of your heart, and seek God’s guidance to get to the root of anything that shouldn’t be there.

God’s greatest gift to us was Jesus’s death on the cross to pay for our sins and restore our relationship with God. This one gift would have been enough, but He has given us so many other amazing and undeserved gifts each and every day. I might argue that one of the greatest gifts right after Jesus’s sacrifice is the Wonder of the Gift of Rest.

Scientific research has shown the incredible importance that sleep and rest have for our bodies, our minds, and our overall health. Which once again demonstrates that science confirms what our Creator has said all along. He designed rest for us. It is His gift to us and something He knows we need.

We see this gift of rest come up in the very beginning when Genesis 2:2-3 tells us that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world and everything in it, and blessed that day and made it holy, or set it apart. Then in Exodus 20 when God was giving the recently delivered Israelites some important commands on how to be a new nation of His holy people, he told them to “Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.” He reinforced this in several other places in the Books of the Law and gave reminders of it’s importance through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah as well.

Somehow though, over the next few centuries this had become a burden for the people. It had gone from a command from God to take a day to rest and be blessed by spending time with Him to a detailed regulation and restrictions that had to be carefully followed. This law of blessing had become a rule of burden. This is not what God intended and we see that in the words of Jesus in Mark 2:27-28:

Part of being able to Discern Wonder includes being able to discern what we need. We won’t have the capacity to discern the wonder around us or lead others to if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. As leaders in church, ministries, homes, and businesses, we have to begin by leading ourselves. We can’t lead others well if we’re not leading ourselves. Part of learning to lead yourself well means using discernment to determine what it is that you need.

Being able to discern what you need starts with knowing where you are in your relationship with God. How is that relationship? What do you need there? Do you need to spend more time with Him? Do you need to spend more time in the Word or more time in prayer? What does that look like for where you are in your relationship with God? What is he telling you in that area of your life?

Beyond that, we also need discernment in our rest. One of God’s commands is for us to take a Sabbath rest. While we find that in the Old Testament and some may say that is a part of the Law and we are no longer bound to it, we also see that Jesus frequently spoke about the Sabbath as well. In fact, He said that the Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath. It’s not about following a legalistic view of Sabbath that restricts and binds us, but more about the fact that we need rest and time with God. Even modern scientific research backs up the fact that we need rest. If you’ve ever had a few sleepless nights, that fact becomes obvious. So we need to use discernment to figure out what we might need to do to help us rest well so that we can be recharged and ready to lead ourselves and others well.

Another area that we need to use some discernment in involves our time. How are you managing your time? Are you using discernment there? Are you spending too much time on work or too little? What about the time you spend in ministry, church, or with your family and friends? Discernment is so important in many areas of our life. When we talk about how to be discerning with our time, I go back to starting with God. Prayerfully seeking His guidance asking Him for discernment and wisdom for what and how He is directing you. I can’t help but think back to last week‘s article about the importance of dwelling with Him. The more we dwell with Him the more He gives us discernment in these areas. When we learn to hear that still, small voice speaking to us and telling us exactly what it is that we need and what it is that He has for us, we begin to see the path we need to walk to enjoy the abundant life He has promised. That definitely should be our starting place: dwelling with Him and seeking Him for our discernment.

Beyond that though, He gives us other tools to help us. The tool of wise counsel can be very helpful as we look for discernment in our time and other areas. Again, we need discernment to determine sources of wise counsel. Figuring out who to go to and who to listen to is important. I don’t know that we want to take advice in this particular area from someone who isn’t living in a way we want to follow. If someone is burned out or making poor decisions, they might not have the wisest counsel for us unless it is pitfalls to avoid.  We can look to people who are setting good examples of the way we want to live. They won’t be perfect examples, but seeking their counsel can be helpful.

There are other tools out there that can help us as well. One example is last month’s book review on Sacred Rest. There are also tools to help us take time to set or evaluate our priorities. I have gone through and helped others walk through exercises of focusing on what it is they feel called to do, how they’re using their time, and whether those priorities and their time management are aligning. This can be a very eye-opening exercise for all of us. We all go through tough seasons and have moments where we’re are living more in survival mode than anything else. During those seasons we’re doing what it takes to get us through, but if we stay in them for too long, we can easily start drifting and losing sight of our purpose and priorities. At times like that, it can be very helpful to take a step back to really think through and discern where God has us and what we are called to be doing. Taking a close look at what we’re doing and why we are doing it can help us realign with the priorities that God has for us.

If you ever find yourself in need of some reflection or tools to help you discern what it is you need, please consider using the contact page on this website to reach out for some personal coaching. I’d be happy to help walk you through some tools to help you lead yourself and others well.

Last fall, I had the immense privilege of taking a four week Sabbatical. Before the Sabbatical I might not have used the words “immense privilege” to describe it, because the work that it took to prepare for it was beyond exhausting. By the time the Sabbatical started, I definitely felt like I had earned it and needed it. To say that I was exhausted would have been an understatement.

Besides the preparation of making sure that all of my job responsibilities would be covered for the the month that I was gone, I also was making preparations to make sure that the Sabbatical time itself was intentional and productive in helping me rest, renew and refocus. One of the things that I did in preparation for the Sabbatical time was read the book that I reviewed yesterday, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity by Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. I was so glad that I had stumbled across her book in a podcast shortly before my Sabbatical. It really helped me understand the different aspects of rest and how those might be best incorporated.

I already knew that just sitting at home, watching tv or reading wouldn’t be the rest that I’d need during my Sabbatical time. Reading Dr. Dalton-Smith’s book helped me incorporate many different types of rest into that time. I discovered that many things including trying new things which for me included kayaking, taking a drive to view fall colors, enjoying quiet time and times with music, spending time with friends and time alone, and so many other things all helped contribute to my restfulness and feeling renewed.

All of these things helped me feel more rested, but I also took more time to just spend with God, to enjoy my relationship with Him just for the sake of our relationship not to study or prepare or anything else. The rest and peace that I felt from that truly enabled me to enjoy the other types of rest as well. During that time with God, I was really challenged by the idea of dwelling or abiding with Him. I know the verses well like: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. Yet during this time, God really challenged me that I was putting other things like my to-do list and productivity ahead of actually dwelling with Him. As I explored this more, I realized just how much more restful dwelling with Him is.

If you’ve made it this far in this article, you might be thinking “That’s great and I’m glad you had this great Sabbatical, but I’ll never be able to do that.” And yes, I was fortunate enough to have that opportunity, but many of these things that I learned about rest can be implemented into life outside of Sabbaticals. I know this because more that six months after my Sabbatical, these lessons are still shaping and helping my daily life.

The reminder of the importance of dwelling with God and depending on Him instead of my obsessive to-do lists is still a valued part of my life. Am I doing it perfectly? No. Are there still days that I neglect my relationship with Him? Yes. Do I come back to dwell with Him much more quickly? Yes. Do I value that relationship and dependence on Him more? Absolutely.

The understanding of the variety of ways that I can and need to rest is also still very crucial in my day to day life. Again, I don’t do it perfectly and some days or weeks are better than others. There will always be more demanding seasons in our lives or times when it is more of a struggle to find the time for rest, but as we realize the importance of dwelling with God and resting it becomes more of a priority to seek to consistently make them part of our daily lives.
I think of the verse, Psalm 34:8, which says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” As we get a taste of the rest found in Him and that He desires for us, we will find ourselves craving it more and more. So even if you are busy, like we all are, and think you have no time to truly dwell with God or experience rest, I challenge you today to start where you are and carve out a few minutes or more to spend time with God, learn more about what rest you need, and start to experience His rest. If you think you have no time to carve out, then I challenge you to really take a close look at your time to see if that’s true. Can you give up some time on social media, or watching tv, or playing games? Do you have a few minutes in the carpool line, in a waiting room, or could you wake up just a few minutes earlier? I have to remind myself of this at times, but trust me, whatever the sacrifice it will be well worth it.

​I first heard of the book, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, in a podcast featuring the author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. I was intrigued by what I heard from her and about the book because like so many people I had been struggling with feeling tired all the time. When someone would casually ask how I was doing, so often the first thing that would come to mind was “tired.” I felt like I tried to rest, but never felt rested. For one of the first times as I listened to this author speak, I heard someone explaining why my “resting” didn’t always leave me feeling rested.

In her book, Dr. Dalton-Smith explains that: “Much of what we consider rest fails to work because it is not restful.” She also takes time to explain the difference between sleep and rest, saying that sleep itself is not rest, but rest makes our sleep better. The book explains that many things that we think are restful, like escapism, are actually not helping us rest in a way that helps us recover and renew our energy. She approaches this extensive look at rest from both her medical and faith backgrounds giving a well-rounded, well-researched point of view.

Thankfully, the author doesn’t just explain what we are doing wrong when it comes to rest, but the majority of the book explains what is needed for true rest. She says that “The most effective rest occurs when we are purposefully reviving the parts of our life we regularly deplete.” Dr. Dalton-Smith goes on to explain that there are seven different areas where we need rest: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative. As we deplete ourselves in each of these areas, we need to rest in ways that help us recover and replete those specific areas. If our senses are exhausted from the noise and other inputs of life, then sitting down to watch tv or a movie for a few hours isn’t going to help us rest and feel renewed. The same idea is true for each of the seven areas. Different types of exhaustion, need different types of rest.

Dr. Dalton-Smith not only shares about these seven areas of needed rest, but she gives very practical ideas on how to rest in ways that can renew us in each of those areas. In case we weren’t already convinced, she goes on to share a dozen different gifts that rest gives us: from freedom and acceptance to permission, productivity, and choice.

All of these ideas were like a breath of fresh air to me, and might be to you as well. Dr. Dalton-Smith asks a question with a powerful suggestion , “What steals your rest? Answering this question helps reveal the benefits of having boundaries and the gift we have in setting boundaries within our lives.” Recognizing the specific things that steal our rest and even more importantly the areas where our rest has been depleted, helps us determine the kind of rest we really need.

This book includes a Personal Rest Deficit Assessment and also a link to her free 7 Types of Rest Quiz. In this online quiz, you can determine the areas where you are most in need of rest. When I took this quiz it was simultaneously eye-opening and also very affirming of what I was feeling. After taking the quiz I spent about a month trying to implement some the types of rest that were suggested in the book. After that month, I retook the quiz and saw improvement in most of the areas.

If you are struggling with constantly feeling tired and exhausted, and feeling like nothing you do makes it better, then I’d highly encourage you to take some time to check out this book. For me, it is definitely going to be a periodic re-read to remind myself of areas where I need to proactively rest and replenish. I hope it might be as helpful to you as it was to me.

​Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. It began as a national observance after the Civil War as a time to remember and honor those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, dying in battle.

While we still know that is the reason for this holiday, for many of us it’s become more about a long weekend to kick off summer. It’s not a bad a thing to enjoy barbecues, camping, time with family and friends, and other activities during this holiday weekend, but I do think it is still appropriate for us to take some time to remember as we enjoy our early summer activities. After all, it is because of their sacrifices, that we have the freedom to enjoy the activities of our choosing this weekend.

According to the website military.com, over 1.3 million military members have died while fighting for our country. That doesn’t even include those who have lost their lives in training accidents or other duties. What a staggering number! Not only did those 1.3 million plus military members give the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of our nation and our freedoms, but most if not all of them left behind loved ones, friends, and family who paid the sacrifice of grief and loss. What we can so easily take for granted, has come a such a great cost.

If we stop and think about, many of us have people somewhere in our family trees that have paid this ultimate sacrifice. For some of us it may have been someone close to us who we still love and miss. For others of us it may be a more distant relative who we never really knew, but if we take time to consider it some of the realities of these sacrifices become clear.

I grew up knowing that one of my Grandpa’s brother’s had died in World War II. As a kid growing up and honestly as a young adult, I never really thought about what that meant. As I’ve gotten older and learned a few more things about him, I’ve finally realized how tough that must have been for my Grandpa and his family. Jimmy was the youngest of four brothers and was killed in action in Japan less than five months before the war was over. From the stories I heard he was a vibrant young man who enjoyed life, riding on roller coasters with my Grandma when my Grandpa refused to join her. The grief must have been so difficult for all of them, but especially my great-grandparents. To add to the grief experienced by them all, it took months before his body could be returned for burial, and they were the lucky ones because some families of service members didn’t ever get that opportunity.

This is a story that in one way, shape or form can be repeated over 1.3 million times by families in our country during the last 250 years. It is devastating and yet encouraging. It is dreadful and yet deserving of honor.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

While not all of those who have given up their lives for this country were followers of Christ, many were and they followed the example of His sacrifice for us. All of these military members exemplify what Jesus said. They each sacrificed their lives for their friends and countrymen, to protect us, to protect our nation, and to protect our freedoms.

The least we can do is sacrifice a few moments today remembering and honoring them and wondering about the magnitude of their sacrifice.

Last week, I shared a little about what I learned about my Working Geniuses and some of the insights that I got from learning about this model and taking the assessment. This week, I want to talk a little more about how the Working Genius model can be helpful personally.

Understanding the Working Genius model and in particular understanding your own Working Geniuses helps you understand yourself better. While we never want to become self-focused, being self-aware is very important. When we are aware of what makes us tick and tendencies that we have, it equips us to interact better with others, be better friends, family members, co-workers, leaders and Christ followers.

While there are many ways that understanding the 6 Types of Working Genius can help you, there are two in particular that I want to mention today. First, it can help you better understand what fuels or energizes you when it comes to work and what aspects of work make you feel burnt out. Often we think burn out comes from working too much and the response to avoid it is to just cut back on work. Sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn’t if you’ve ever found yourself wondering why that is, the Working Genius model can help. It isn’t so much about how much work you are doing, but what kind of work you are doing. The more work you are able to do in your areas of genius the more energized you will feel and less likely to burn out. If you are having to spend a lot of time in your areas of frustration, then you are much more likely to begin experiencing burn out. Even if you are having to spend a great deal of time in your areas of competency, you can begin to experience burn out and frustration. Understanding your Working Geniuses and exploring ways to minimize your frustrations and maximize your geniuses can be immensely helpful in the energy you have not just for work, but life.

With that said, let me give a bit of a disclaimer: all of us have to do things in our areas of competency and frustration at times. Whether it is at work, in our families, or just day to day life, there will be things that we need to accomplish that don’t fall into our geniuses, but understanding this model helps us understand why certain things are more draining and difficult for us than others. Just understanding this can give us some relief and compassion for ourselves and others. It is so easy for us to feel guilty or be harsh with ourselves because what seems so easy for others around us just isn’t easy for us. Maybe you see others coming up with great ideas and you just don’t understand why you can’t. Maybe you feel like you should be better at follow through and finishing tasks and have felt at times that something must be wrong with you because you just can’t seem to pull it together. This is the second helpful aspect of understanding the Working Genius model that I wanted to mention today. Understanding ourselves in this way helps to eliminate some unnecessary guilt over things we just aren’t great about and understand that we have geniuses in other areas. It can even help us to be less judgmental and more compassionate with others as well.

Some of this comes from the fact that the Working Genius model gives you a language to be able to communicate these ideas and feelings that you may never have been able to clearly put words around. While knowing that something is a working frustration doesn’t give you an excuse to just stop doing those types of things, it does give you the understanding and words to begin to talk with family members, co-workers, and leaders to help them understand why you struggle in those areas and what areas in which you are likely to be more successful. Having conversations about these things opens the door to begin to explore ways to spend more time in your areas of genius and less in frustrations and competencies which can be beneficial for you and those around you.

​Please understand that I am just barely scratching the surface of the Working Genius model in these articles and there is so much more to it and so many more benefits that you can experience as you understand it better. As always, if you want to learn more about it you can check out the book, The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni or the Working Genius podcast. I would also love to help walk you through the process of taking the assessment and understanding more about the model and what it means for you specifically. If you would like to know more about the Working Genius model or have me work with you as a Working Genius Facilitator, please reach out to me on the Contact page of this website.

This is part of our Thursday series on the encounters with the Risen Savior that are shared in the four gospels. Today’s encounter is shared with us by John.

At this point, Jesus had already appeared to all of the disciples, and in chapter 21 John goes on to tell about a day when seven of the disciples had decided to go fishing. They had been unsuccessfully fishing all night, and at daybreak heard someone on the shore tell them to cast their nets on the right-hand side of the boat. And just like it happened when they first met Jesus, their nets were overwhelmingly full of fish. At this point John realized that the man on the shore must be Jesus. Peter, as impulsive as always jumped off the boat and swam to the shore while the others stayed in the boat and drug the net full of fish to shore. In verse 9, John describes the scene they found on shore like this:

Jesus invited them to have breakfast and in verse 13 John describes part of that breakfast meal:

Last week, I reviewed the book, The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team, by Patrick Lencioni. During the next three Mondays, I want to talk a little more about the significance of this great model for understanding ourselves, the teams we work on, and how we accomplish work.

In the book review, I mentioned that when I took the assessment I discovered that my Working Geniuses were Discernment and Wonder and I briefly mentioned that this was part of the reason for the name of this website. On the home page of the website, you can see an article that explains the main reason for the name and I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t already, but I also want to explain a little about how The 6 Types of Working Genius Model shaped this as well.

When I learned about the Working Genius model, I had a pretty good idea of what my geniuses would be and taking the assessment confirmed it. Just in case you didn’t read the Book Review and aren’t familiar with the Working Genius model, the six types of Work include: wonder, invention, discernment, galvanizing, enablement, and tenacity. The Discernment aspect was not really a big surprise for me. I love brainstorming and working with others or even at times by myself to think about various ideas and make them better. Sometimes I do this even when it’s not really helpful or asked for. I’ve been known to be in grocery lines or hospitals with family and friends and start going off on how I think they could be doing things better. At times I’ve been told by whoever I happen to be talking to that I should “Go ahead and go tell someone who works there and not them.” The emphasis definitely being on “not them.” I’m rarely bold enough to take that suggestion and offer the unsolicited advise to someone other than the person I happen to be with. That’s probably due to a number things. One might be because Discernment is a responsive genius and not a disruptive genius. A bigger reason is probably because Galvanizing is one of my Working Frustrations and going up to someone in a business or organization out of nowhere with a suggestion does not give me joy. If I’m asked for my input, however, it does generally energize me.

My other Working Genius was Wonder. Like many people with this genius, I knew this sounded a lot like me, but I’d certainly never really thought of it as a strength, let alone a genius. In fact, my wonder seemed more like something that just annoyed people and even got me in trouble at times. The  Genius of Wonder involves asking a lot of questions. Why are we doing this? Why don’t we do that? Would it be better if we tried this? Why couldn’t we…? What do you think is causing this? You get the idea. I’d never really considered that Wonder is the first part of the process of work. There wouldn’t be ideas or processes or products to discern and implement if someone doesn’t first wonder about why something is the way it is and what might be done about it. Like every Working Genius there are appropriate and not-so-appropriate times for this genius and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of that.

So when I started brainstorming different names for this website, and was thinking about the importance of us recapturing wonder it reminded me of the Working Genius model. The wonder that we talk about recapturing throughout this website isn’t exactly the same as the Working Genius of wonder. We’re talking more about being open to seeing the amazing things that God is doing and has placed around you. You don’t have to have the Working Genius of wonder to be able to remember how to recapture the wonder that children so naturally have. For me, understanding my Working Geniuses helped me take some steps to recapturing that wonder because I understood myself better and had more grace for myself and others.

So while Discerning Wonder has some deeper meanings, it’s also a bit of a play on words from my Working Geniuses. Understanding this model has helped me. If you would like to learn more or would like to see if it can help you or your team identify your sweet spots in the process of work and possibly have more understanding and grace for yourselves and each other, please use the contact page to reach out to me. I’d love to talk with you more about this great model.