“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…for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap” (Proverbs 3:21-22, 26, NLT).
My boss told me to stop using AI. My first instinct was to push back. But somewhere between my pride and my paycheck, I stopped and listened. That's discernment. And according to Proverbs 3, it might have saved me. AI is only as useful as our ability to tell it precisely what we need. Most people never get that far, including me at first.
My colleagues haven't adopted AI because they're afraid. Afraid it will replace them. Afraid of getting it wrong. Afraid of being left behind. I had the same fear. That is until I accidentally built something that changed how I make decisions.
When I first started to use Claude AI, I set it up as a Socratic coach. I wanted AI to be my thought partner. I never want it to do the work for me, although there are days when I shut the whole thing off and charge ahead like a bull seeing red. However, this setup has saved me from spending a lot of wasted time on projects and tasks that I don’t really need to do or running with impulsive decisions like creating a new resume to apply to a hundred jobs in a weekend that in the end I’m not ready to move into or haven’t spent the time counting the cost of making a career change. Also, I recognize that it’s often not our circumstances that need to change.
It’s our heart.
The feedback session with my boss revealed a heart issue I’m still working through. The desire for perfection. When my boss asked me to stop using AI, I took it personally because it was improving my communication, but it was stifling my learning and, in many ways, hiding my authentic voice. It took me a minute to recognize that. I blew up at my boss demanding that she show me examples of where I produced fluff. I accused her of insulting my intelligence, but she insisted that she wasn’t and believed I was very smart. She couldn’t produce any examples, but that wasn’t the point. I had to calm down when she fired back at me to tell her where in our conversation did she say I wasn’t smart. The real eye opener came when they asked me to tell them in my own words why I should be promoted. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they were making a point. I couldn’t tell them in my own words because I had used AI to draft my petition instead of considering for myself why I should be promoted. Granted they were merciful and went along with what I was able to put together about why I should be promoted.
I went home feeling deflated and unsure how to process what had happened. I immediately sent a message to my pastor to explain the situation. I asked him if perhaps this was all part of something that God might be trying to get me to recognize about myself, testing my willingness to listen and be coachable. Preparing me to receive instructions. He didn't respond. He rarely does. I used to find that frustrating. Now I think I understand why. He's not withholding wisdom. He's making room for me to find it.
It turns out I’m not the only one wrestling with AI and discernment. A 2026 Barna study found that practicing Christians lead every demographic in seeing AI as both high opportunity and high risk, more optimistic than the general population, yet nearly as concerned. Pastors diverge even further: 72% say AI is a threat compared to 57% of practicing Christians in the pews.
The concern of pastors is legitimate. Christians who don't know their Bible well enough to discern sound doctrine are vulnerable, especially when AI can produce authoritative-sounding answers to questions that deserve careful theological reflection.
I built a Socratic coach out of an AI. It's helped me think more clearly, slow down, and make better decisions. I've used AI for guided study questions and background insights. But revelation, the kind that results in heart transformation, still comes the old-fashioned way. AI has never once given me a word from God. That still requires getting on my knees.