Discernment

DISCERNMENT

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:21

These days, it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. One news broadcast tells one story, another broadcast reports the opposite. Everyone has a differing opinion when it comes to assigning blame for the woes of our country. There are self-appointed “fact checkers,” who think it is their role to separate truth from fiction.

That's why we need discernment today. There is as much misinformation available as there is information. We need to able to identify the truth and expose lies.

Discernment is defined as, “the ability to judge well.” Charles Spurgeon went so far as to say, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

By and large, our politically correct (PC) society opposes genuine discernment. For one thing, they reject the idea that there is a standard of truth. As Christians, we know that there is a standard of truth, the Bible. Jesus said, “Thy word is truth.”

Since we do have a standard of truth, we can practice genuine discernment. Sadly, I find two extremes when Christians practice discernment.

First of all, there are those who refuse to practice discernment at all. For these individuals, anything goes. They are willing to tolerate misrepresentations and lies. You'll never know if they agree or disagree with any statement. They are too concerned about being liked. They don't want to others to speak badly of them because they took a stand for or against an issue, so they say nothing.

On the other hand, there are some who seem to monitor every word for inaccuracy. They are fault finders. They criticize nearly everything and everyone. On social media, you'll find them constantly picking apart any speech, sermon or comment. In the Christian community, some are heresy hunters. They are constantly on the prow, looking for a speck of dirt to expose.

While we should avoid the mistake of being fault finders, there is a need for genuine discernment. Let us avoid the folly of being led astray by lies. The devil is a liar. He seeks to deceive and destroy us. Education is a good thing, but we need spiritual weapons to fight the spiritual warfare we are engaged in.

Personally, I don't like to be lied to. Neither do I want to be known as a fool because I was gullible and deceived.

The devil is using all the tools available to him in his mission to deceive and destroy. Of all people, believers should be equipped and ready to detect and expose his lies.

That's why God's Word is so vital. The world is very hostile to our use of the Bible, yet the truth of God's Word is the standard by which everything must be judged.

Many believe everything they see on the national news. Others believe every word of gossip at the office. Some follow the advice of athletes or Hollywood stars. For myself, I will believe the truth of God's Word. What about you?

Yes, Christians need to practice discernment. Otherwise, we are subject to be manipulated by the changing winds of doubt and deceit.

Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul instructs us to, “Prove all things.” Notice that he didn't say we are to prove some things or to prove religious things. We are told to prove ALL things. Put everything to the test. Use God's Word as the standard. Pray for wisdom. Make decisions based on what is true and right, not what is popular or trendy.

When we prove all things, we'll find that many things will fail the test.