Word for Today, Fri, 30 Apr 2004: The Gift of Discernment
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
This message is about spiritual discernment. Contrary to what
you may think, spiritual discernment is not magic, but neither it
is something that all people possess. Like all spiritual gifts
--- oh, I just gave it away, it is a gift of God.
What other aspects of our faith are gifts from God? Well, I gave
that one away, too, in the previous statement. All aspects of
our faith are gifts from God. Ephesians 2:8-9. which evangelical
Christians love to quote, tells us that our salvation is a gift
from God, lest any of us should boast about what we have.
However, that same passage (in verse ten) also reminds us that
each of us has a responsibility. First, when we are given a gift,
we have to accept the gift, otherwise the gift has no value
whatsoever. Second, we must take advantage of the gift and use
it wisely.
We ought to pray for discernment in everything we do, and when we
are granted what we ask, we ought to be thankful and respond
appropriately to what we've been given. When we respond, it
means we have work to do, and the work we do is for God. Because
of our gratitude to God for all He has done for us, we love to
work for Him.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries
April 30
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to
distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9 NIV).
Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many
churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our
first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer"
inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you
visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can
cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms
it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.
The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the
motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9,
Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers:
"Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for
yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have
you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for
yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done
according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and
discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true
discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or
to secure an advantage over another person--even an enemy.
The Greek word for discernment--diakrino--simply means to make a
judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function:
to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10
discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good
spirit from a bad spirit.
Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the
Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the
Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive
what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is
wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing
with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom.
Thank You, Father, for the discernment Your Holy Spirit provides.
Without You I couldn't avoid the land mines the enemy places in
my path.
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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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