Acquiring Discernment: Part III

In Nehemiah 6, we discover Nehemiah’s remarkable discernment. In this series, we’re discussing three elements that help us learn to be more discerning, like Nehemiah.

The first element was to know God’s Word. The second is Spiritual Maturity. Spiritual maturity requires us to not only know God’s Word but also to grow more discerning through constant use and interaction with God and His Word.

Hebrews 5:13 teaches, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

If your study of the word is not challenging or has not developed past basic principles, you will not grow in your faith. When working towards a degree, you do not take the same intro-level classes all four years. You go to second, third, and fourth level classes, each building upon the last to give you a developed understanding of your field of study. In order to grow in discernment in your faith, you have to move past John 3:16.

If you desire to be a person with great discernment, grow your spiritual maturity by constantly applying God’s Word and growing in your personal relationship with Jesus.

Questions for Reflection

• Who would you say has a developed understanding of the word of God? How has it affected them in their daily life?
• How often do you pray? Do you build time into your day for prayer? Do you feel you have a continuous relationship with the Lord or a more Sunday morning one?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your spiritual maturity? What might help you move closer towards a 10?