Motivational Mondays in the Marketplace

Discernment in the Face of Urgency

By Dr. Kathy Amos

In last week’s column, we talked about discernment — the ability to hear beyond noise, to see beyond emotion,
and to pause long enough to ensure that what we are carrying is actually assigned. Discernment is not delay. It is
spiritual intelligence. It is the discipline of alignment.

This week, that lesson deepened for me in a very practical way.

I recently agreed to handle something for someone. There was clear urgency in the request. I was reminded
more than once before leaving, and the insistence communicated that this needed immediate attention.
I agreed because I care. I wanted to help. As leaders, that is often our first instinct — to step in, to solve, to
respond.

Later, I realized I did not have what I needed to complete the task. What initially felt like an oversight turned
into revelation.

The situation was resolved another way — more efficiently and without my involvement.
That moment clarified something powerful:

Not every urgent request is a divine assignment.

Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” (NLT)
In the marketplace, urgency often feels like responsibility. As business owners, executives, ministry leaders, and
community builders, we are conditioned to move quickly. We pride ourselves on being dependable and
resourceful. We do not like loose ends.

But speed does not equal alignment.

Sometimes we pick up other people’s agendas — their timelines, their expectations, their pressure — without
asking whether it aligns with God’s plan for our life or even His plan for theirs.

Helping is honorable.

Discernment is essential.

James 3:17 describes wisdom this way: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving,
gentle at all times…” (NLT)

Heaven’s wisdom carries peace — not pressure.
If we are not careful, we can insert ourselves into situations where God has already arranged provision through
another source. We can assume responsibility for something that heaven never assigned to us. And in doing so,
we risk draining energy that was meant for our true assignment.
Discernment protects our time.
Discernment protects our capacity.
Discernment protects our purpose.
The question leaders must learn to ask is simple but transformative:
Is this truly mine to carry?
If peace is absent, pause.
If clarity is missing, wait.
If pressure is leading, step back.
Leadership is not about responding to everything. It is about responding to what is assigned.
This is why spaces like The Gathering Place Chapel exist.

Located at 414 S. State St., Suite 201, Jackson, MS 39201, The Gathering Place Chapel is a marketplace-
centered worship and leadership environment designed specifically for business, ministry, and community
leaders. It is a space where faith and strategy meet — where leaders are strengthened spiritually so they can lead
effectively in boardrooms, classrooms, offices, nonprofits, and community spaces.

Through Motivational Mondays in the Marketplace and our weekly gatherings, we create intentional moments
for leaders to pause, reflect, and recalibrate before stepping back into high-demand environments.
Because when leaders operate from discernment instead of pressure, they build differently.

They build with peace.
They build with alignment.
They build with purpose.
And when the Lord builds, the outcome is always sustainable.

To learn more about The Gathering Place Chapel and upcoming marketplace leadership opportunities, visit
www.turningpointfmi.com.

Let this week be marked not by hurried responses, but by intentional alignment. Not by urgency, but by
discernment. Not by pressure, but by peace.