ACQUIRING SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-14

Sadly, some Christians go through life without realizing 2 important facts about God: 

          1)He has a personal interest in our decisions; and

          2)He offers us the ability to discern His will regarding those choices. 

However, spiritual discernment isn't automatic.  After receiving Christ, we don't suddenly understand every complex theme and principle in Scripture.

Discernment must be diligently sought.  Many people, believing their own wisdom is sufficient to guide them, never look for the Lord's.  But our human minds, while rational, are incapable of seeing the true nature of many situations and events.  What is good may not always be best, and what is presented as truth is sometimes a lie.  Pride in our own judgment hinders access to Godly wisdom. In contrast, recognizing our need for God's Spirit and yielding to Him develops our insight.  Besides illuminating biblical meaning, providing spiritual gifts, and sealing believers as children of God, the Holy Spirit provides discernment.  This is why He is called the Spirit of Truth.  Through Him, we have a direct link to God's mind - He willingly reveals the next step God intends for us to take.

Much of the Holy Spirit's discernment work is carried out through a believer's understanding of Scripture.  No matter how much we pray, we can't be sure a choice is right unless we recognize a Godly pattern.  From Genesis to Revelation, the Father reveals His thoughts and principles so that we can live accordingly, gleaning wisdom for any situation from His words.

Learning Spiritual Discernment

HEBREWS 5:12-14

Spiritual discernment develops progressively.  The Lord does not simply pour knowledge into

our heads; we must daily seek His will and study to understand Him better.  To do so, we must

regularly spend time in the Word and place ourselves under the Holy Spirit's teaching. Church

is where we receive instruction.  If a poll were taken as people left their house of worship, they

would give many different reasons for attending: worshipping, fellowshipping, encouraging

one another, and inviting others to receive Jesus Christ.  How many would say they come to

learn righteousness?  Yet, teaching about holiness is a primary calling of the pastor. 

(Ezekiel 44:23) A minister's goal should be to teach in such a way that parishioners hear a

Godly principle and learn to apply it. In this way, believers grow in spiritual discernment.

Instruction does little good unless we practice what we learn.  David exercised spiritual discernment throughout his life.  He went against conventional military wisdom, facing Goliath armorless and with a few stones.  (1 Samuel 17:37-39) Later, he repeatedly avoided claiming the throne until God's plan was fully revealed.  But David made mistakes as well, such as his indiscretions with the married Bathsheba.  We, too, can ignore the Spirit's promptings and instead appease our own desires.  Recognizing principles are not enough; we must live out what we learn.  It is wise to observe the consequences of obedience and disobedience so that we, like David, can grow in our spiritual discernment.

- Thank You to one of my Sisters in the Lord who wishes to remain anonymous to make sure that God gets the Glory for this article.

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