Spiritual DiscernmentSample

Developing Discernment

One of God’s objectives for us as believers is spiritual maturity. Going back to our original scripture in Hebrews 5:14, we see that it requires both maturity and training to discern good from evil. So, how do we develop discernment?

An easy way to understand this concept of training in the spiritual is to look at how bank tellers and federal agents are trained to identify counterfeit notes. The way they learn to distinguish the difference is not to study lots of fake currency. On the contrary, they study genuine notes of different denominations. Through constant use they become very familiar with how the paper feels and smells. They learn each identifying characteristic and know the placement and size of serial numbers and images. A good bank teller can instantly tell a counterfeit note because they have spent many hours studying the real thing.

This is a great analogy of how we develop spiritual discernment. We study God’s Word—this is our solid food. We meditate on scripture not for information, but to know Him intimately. We desire to know the God of the Word in a personal relationship, not just to know the words on paper. Constantly feeding ourselves and knowing who God is (His character and authority) empowers us to discern when something is not of God.

Around the world, paper money has different security features, such as colored threads, a holograph, or a watermark. But many of these indicators can only be discovered when you hold the note up to the light.

The mind is one of the key areas where the enemy tries to blur the separation between good and evil. Sometimes the lies of the enemy can sound convincing, even to mature believers which is why we need to hold up any thoughts or opinions to the light of scripture. Any doctrine or idea which is not in alignment with the Bible is not of God. Regardless of how we feel or what we think, the Holy Spirit will never speak in contradiction to what the Word of God says.

The Word is life, and the Word is also Spirit. Through scripture, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we develop spiritual discernment. We learn to sense and recognize what is of God, and also to discern what is not of Him. The more we walk in His Word and in His ways, the more we receive from the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.