Discernment Begins With Me

 DISCERNMENT BEGINS WITH ME

“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” - Isaiah 6:5

Most people have reservations about practicing discernment because they feel it is wrong to judge other people. However, the first area that requires discernment is our own lives.

By His Word and with the Spirit, God opens our eyes to the truth about own our hearts. Most of the time, we consider our motives to be pure, our hearts to be clean and our efforts to be sufficient. However, when God reveals the truth to us, we must confess that we are sinfully flawed people.

God referred to the people of Nineveh when He said, “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand...” The people of that sinful city were spiritual blind. They couldn't discern the most simple facts about themselves. It took the preaching of Jonah and the conviction of God to awaken them to the truth. What they learned drove them to their knees in repentance.

As Christians, we think we are doing God a favor by criticizing the deeds of others. However, God does not need our help in this area. In fact, the discernment we utilize needs to be concentrated on ourselves rather than our neighbors or friends. I am not saying there isn't a place for discerning the words or works of others, but I am saying that discernment needs to start with ourselves.

Let me share one of the many foolish things I've done in my life. I've tried to be the Holy Spirit and change other people. Obviously, this doesn't work. I am not the Holy Spirit. It isn't my job to convict, convert or change others. Typically the result of such efforts leads me to repentance myself. I was the one who needed repentance most. I've had to learn to let God be God.

I don't think that most church members take a good spiritual bath very often. We think we are spiritually clean. Yet we need a spiritual bath daily. Instead, we hurry through life wanting others will be cleansed, maybe offering them a bar of soap.

It is unnerving to look in the mirror and see a dirty face. Everyone else has seen it but me. Genuine discernment comes when we spend time in God's Word and have His mirror show us the dirt and grime. Instead of offering others a bar of spiritual soap, I need to use it myself.

Discernment leads to cleansing and fullness of joy. It is not my job to change other people. It is my job to honestly confess sin and surrender my life daily to the One who can change me.

It is easy to be fooled by the reputation we've established. By the way, the people closest to you probably aren't fooled by your reputation. They know you too well. Still, we like to gloat in the image we've sought to develop. A few people may be impressed. God isn't.

Solomon prayed for wisdom to rule the people with wisdom. You and I need to pray for wisdom so that we may practice personal discernment.

Yes, I want my reputation to be spotless. But more than that, I want the quality of my character to far exceed my reputation.

I want God to be pleased with both.