There are moments in life when everything feels like it’s hanging in the balance.
Not because you’ve done something wrong—but because you’re standing at the edge of something right. Something God is inviting you into. And the tension isn’t whether to move… it’s how to move.
Do you wait?
Do you act?
Do you prepare more?
Do you leap?
This is where discernment lives.
And if we’re honest, this is where most of us feel stuck.
Discernment Isn’t Always Slow
We often think of discernment as a slow, careful, methodical process. And sometimes it is. But not always.
Sometimes discernment requires speed.
Sometimes it looks like clarity in motion.
Sometimes it looks like obedience before full understanding.
In this week’s episode of Orderly, I sat down with my cousin, Mary Jane Stewart, to talk about exactly this tension—the pace of discernment.
Our story together began in a season where neither of us had a clear roadmap. I had just left a marriage that had completely unraveled my life. MJ was returning from what was meant to be a “gap year” with YWAM that had turned into something much more formative.
We found ourselves in the same place at the same time—both standing at the edge of risk.
We didn’t have answers. But we had each other. And we had God.
Looking back, that season was like a training ground.
Because risk? It’s a muscle.
And God doesn’t usually start you with the heavy weights.
Building the “Risk Muscle”
When God calls you into something new, He rarely asks for everything all at once.
He starts small.
A conversation.
A step of obedience.
A decision that feels just slightly uncomfortable.
And then He builds.
What felt impossible at one point becomes normal later.
Mary Jane’s life is a beautiful example of this. What started as a willingness to go on a mission trip has turned into a full life in South Africa—marriage, children, and a calling to serve women in deeply vulnerable communities.
But what’s striking isn’t just the scale of her obedience.
It’s the consistency of it.
She didn’t get there overnight. She got there by saying “yes” again and again, each time stretching her capacity to trust God.
The Story of Abigail: Discernment in Action
In 1 Samuel 25, we meet a woman named Abigail. Scripture describes her as both discerning and beautiful—but it’s her discernment that changes everything.
Her husband, Nabal, makes a reckless and offensive decision that puts their entire household in danger. David, enraged, sets out with 400 men to destroy everything.
Abigail is faced with a moment.
She can freeze.
She can defer.
She can hope it resolves itself.
Or she can act.
And she does something remarkable.
She moves quickly.
She gathers provisions. She rides out to meet David. She humbles herself. She speaks with wisdom, clarity, and courage.
And in doing so, she accomplishes two things at once:
- She saves her household
- She prevents David from stepping into sin
That’s what discernment does.
It doesn’t just protect you—it often protects others, too.
When Discernment Requires Urgency
One of the most powerful parts of this story is that Abigail didn’t have the luxury of waiting.
If she had paused too long, the outcome would have been devastating.
And this is where we need to shift our understanding.
Not all waiting is wise.
Not all hesitation is holy.
Sometimes delay is actually disobedience in disguise.
Discernment isn’t about moving slowly—it’s about moving in step with God.
And sometimes, that step is fast.
Modern-Day Discernment: Putting Skin in the Game
Mary Jane is living this out in real time.
Her work in South Africa has always required faith—but recently, God has been asking her to go deeper. To put more “skin in the game.”
Through a new initiative called Woven, she’s creating sustainable, dignifying support for women —meeting both physical and spiritual needs.
It’s not safe.
It’s not predictable.
And it doesn’t come with guaranteed outcomes.
But it is aligned.
And that’s what discernment ultimately leads us to—not certainty, but alignment.
So How Do You Know When to Move?
This is the question we all ask.
And while there’s no formula, there are patterns:
- Clarity often comes in motion, not before it
- God’s voice will align with His character and Word
- Fear doesn’t automatically mean stop
- Peace doesn’t always mean easy—it often means anchored
And sometimes, the clearest sign is this:
You know enough to take the next step.
Not the whole journey.
Just the next step.
An Invitation to Respond
One of the beautiful things about this episode is that it doesn’t just tell a story—it invites participation.
You may not be called to move across the world. But you are called to be part of what God is doing.
Here’s how you can step in:
- Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement
- Support MJ and her family financially
- Contribute to the work of Woven
- Pray intentionally for these women and this mission
Sometimes discernment leads you to go.
Sometimes it leads you to send.
Both matter.
DONATE TO MJ & Hunter Missionary Work (DESIGNATION CODE: HM3986)
Final Thought
An orderly life isn’t a controlled life.
It’s a surrendered one.
It’s a life that listens closely, moves when God says move, and trusts Him with the outcome.
So if you’re standing at a crossroads right now, unsure of what to do next, ask yourself:
Where is God inviting me to move—and what would it look like to trust Him enough to take that step?
Because the pace of discernment isn’t about speed.
It’s about obedience.
And that’s where life begins to come into order.
