A person with poor discernment will be ignorant of Satan’s subtle devices, will gradually begin to backslide into sin, and will follow the ways of the world. 2 Cor. 2:11 Mt. 6:24 He will see Satan as an “angel of light” instead of having a hatred toward him. 2 Cor. 11:14 Ps. 97:10a Fie will begin to experiment with the sin that he does not discern to be wrong, but rather seek? to discover and pursue its “pleasures.” Heb. 11:25
A person with discernment is able to tell truth from falsehood, right from wrong, good from evil, or unoffensive from offensive. Heb. 5:14 A sense of discernment is important as you fight against that which is sinful. A soldier who is not able to clearly identify the enemy cannot be depended upon to help his own people and cannot be put in important positions. If you do not have the discernment to clearly identify right from wrong, you will be of little use to God or to other people.
Discernment is needed not only to detect obviously wrong activities or practices, but also to discern God’s perfect will; not doing God’s will is wrong for you in particular. When a person is not doing God’s will for his life during a particular hour in a day, he is not necessarily doing something that is morally wrong. For example, because a boy spends too much time playing outside, he has no time to read his Bible. Discernment was needed so that he could have stopped playing earlier so as to have time to fulfill God’s perfect will for his time during the day. You must discern God’s will for every hour and for every cir cumstance of life.
PERSONAL EVALUATION
Do you have the necessary character trait of discernment? Are you doing things that
will help you to learn to be more discerning? Check only those statements that now show to be a part of your life.
- I often seek counsel from a Christian adult so that I can be sure that I know right from wrong.
- I pray often that the Lord will give me the wisdom that I need to make the right decisions.
- I carefully study the Word of God so that I can be more able to make right decisions.
- I do not go ahead and do something unless I know that it is right to do; I do not decide in ignorance or doubt.
- I am especially careful with “first time” desires to do something; I take time and seek counsel if necessary to discern if the desire is a temptation or God’s will for me.
- I use my sense of discernment to help and to guide others (usually those who are my own age or younger) in their understanding of right and wrong.
- I do not question or doubt those who plainly teach God’s Word; I agree with God’s Word (whether I like it or not) and apply it to my own life.
- I do not argue about standards when they are clearly set by Biblical principles.
- I am learning to discern another person’s attitude and intentions by watching his facial expressions, his manner of walking, his posture, and his behaviors. Prov. 7:6,7; 27:19
Without discernment you will have many times of confusion as to what is right or wrong as well as a weakness when fighting temptations. Are your “senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”? Heb. 5:14 Do you study God’s Word, meditate, apply His Word, and seek counsel to become more discerning? Set a specific goal for yourself to help develop discernment in your life.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
1 Corinthians 2:14
