Christian DiscernmentSample

God’s wisdom

The world is constantly feeding Christians information, whether we want it or not. We hear half-truths all around us. As Christians, if we’re faithful in our Bible reading and church attendance, we want to assess whatever the world is feeding us rightly, according to God’s standards. 

Discernment is the ability to approve what God approves, and reject what God disapproves, because I can recognize the difference. I want the Lord to grow me to the place where I can realize what is pleasing to Him and what is not. Then, I want to consistently approve what God approves and refuse or reject what He does not. 

There is only one way to develop such discernment: with the knowledge of the Word of God. Hebrews teaches that the mature are the ones who have their powers of reasoning or recognition trained by the practice of the Word of God. We practice it by knowing what is written in the Scripture, saturating ourselves with His Word, and consistently making our choices on the side of truth. We have to get to a place where we operate in that kind of discernment, where we seek to please God rather than people. 

What frequently skews our perspective is that we want to please God and hold on to the approval, applause, and acceptance of the culture where we live. I have to get to a place where I have the God-granted courage to say, 

“If this world rejects me, but I’ve pleased the Lord, then I’m satisfied. What I want to know, God, is what pleases You, and to set my choices where You would have me set my choices.” 

Is there any matter in which the world agrees with Scripture? No. I consistently choose what God approves, I will not be in agreement with the world, but a multitude of issues will go according to God’s standards. This practice will determine what I want to do in my marriage, how I raise and discipline my children, my priorities, how I earn my money—I want to know what pleases God and then consistently choose in agreement with that.