Dodger: Hi there! Thanks for coming to talk with us. Have you been well? I certainly hope so. Lilly had a great topic for us to discuss today. We're going to look at discernment.
Lilly: The Bible tells us to have and practice discernment. After all, just because the world says something is good doesn't mean it is. In fact, a lot of the things that the world loves are downright awful and don't bring God any glory at all. Since we don't want to get sucked in to a sinful lifestyle or follow the crowd (which is wrong a good deal of the time) we need to practice discernment. Using discernment helps us to make better choices in line with God's will. But I'd like to clarify what exactly discernment is. Dodger, how do you define discernment?
Dodger: Let me see...ah, here we go. Discernment is "the trait of judging wisely and objectively"*. So in other words, discernment is the ability to determine what's good and what's bad, and choose the good. The Bible has plenty to say about choosing right over wrong. But what sort of verses are specifically about discernment?
Lilly: Well, there's Proverbs 14:8.
"The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving." (ESV)
There's also Romans 12:2. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (NKJV, boldface added) Although this verse doesn't specifically say "discernment", proving (or finding out) God's will is something that we certainly need discernment for.
Dodger: God doesn't want us to accept everything that the world throws at us, because many things that seek for our attention and focus aren't what God wants for us. If we want to avoid choices that will hurt us, we need to practice discernment. That's not the only benefit of discernment, however. For an example, let's look at the book of the prophet and priest named Ezekiel. The nation of Judah was in a sorry state, for the people's sin had led to a lot of trouble. One problem was that most of the Levites, who were supposed to help the priests and the people by working in the temple, had instead worked for the idols that the people chose to worship instead of serving God. Since they were supposed to be helping the people worship God, they were disobeying God. So here's what God said:
"And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them,” says the Lord God, “that they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it. (Ezekiel 44:10-14 NKJV)
Lilly: There were consequences for the sin that the Levites had committed. They had to bear their shame, and would not get to serve as priests before God. They had chosen the wrong thing, and the results were simply not worth it. But look at what God had to say about men who practiced discernment and chose to do the right when others wouldn't.
"But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge."
(v. 15-16 NKJV)
These particular Levites had chosen to serve God in spite of everyone else choosing sin, and so God promised that they would be able to continue to lead the people spiritually and offer sacrifices to God. They were promised a reward for doing the right thing and practicing discernment. Look at something else God said in Ezekiel 44:23:
"And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." (NKJV, boldface added)
Dodger: Did you see that? By practicing discernment and serving God when others wouldn't the sons of Zadok were given the task by God to teach discernment to others as well. It's important to have discernment that can be spread around.
Lilly: The Bible says that as Christians we need to practice discernment because we're not like the rest of the world anymore. Ephesians 5 says: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:6-10 ESV) We can't live like the rest of the world, because we're God's lights in a dark place. We need to discern God's will and follow it.
Dodger: So how do we practice discernment? How do we develop it?
Lilly: The answer is threefold. 1. Read God's Word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom, and wisdom gives us discernment. If you're studying the Bible often it is much harder to not practice discernment. 2. Listen to God, and people He uses to talk to you. God may speak to you directly, or through a parent, or through someone else. Now of course, you need to use discernment to make sure that it's actually God speaking to you either by Himself or through a person. One good way to do that is measure what you hear by God's Word. If the words and actions you hear are Biblically right, good. If not, throw them away. Words that contradict the Bible are never from God. 3. Pray for discernment. If you ask God for discernment, He'll give it to you. It might not look like it's happening all at once, but that's okay, because He's still giving it to you, even if you can't always tell.
Dodger: Discernment is something we each have to practice, but the more we do, the better we get at it, and the better we become at avoiding the wrong, doing the right and living for God. Well, looks like we have to go again. Thanks for visiting. Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Vaarwel!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(ESV Means English Standard Version)
*The definition of discernment came from Princeton University's Wordnet 3.1, at http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=discernment
Lilly: The Bible tells us to have and practice discernment. After all, just because the world says something is good doesn't mean it is. In fact, a lot of the things that the world loves are downright awful and don't bring God any glory at all. Since we don't want to get sucked in to a sinful lifestyle or follow the crowd (which is wrong a good deal of the time) we need to practice discernment. Using discernment helps us to make better choices in line with God's will. But I'd like to clarify what exactly discernment is. Dodger, how do you define discernment?
Dodger: Let me see...ah, here we go. Discernment is "the trait of judging wisely and objectively"*. So in other words, discernment is the ability to determine what's good and what's bad, and choose the good. The Bible has plenty to say about choosing right over wrong. But what sort of verses are specifically about discernment?
Lilly: Well, there's Proverbs 14:8.
"The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving." (ESV)
There's also Romans 12:2. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (NKJV, boldface added) Although this verse doesn't specifically say "discernment", proving (or finding out) God's will is something that we certainly need discernment for.
Dodger: God doesn't want us to accept everything that the world throws at us, because many things that seek for our attention and focus aren't what God wants for us. If we want to avoid choices that will hurt us, we need to practice discernment. That's not the only benefit of discernment, however. For an example, let's look at the book of the prophet and priest named Ezekiel. The nation of Judah was in a sorry state, for the people's sin had led to a lot of trouble. One problem was that most of the Levites, who were supposed to help the priests and the people by working in the temple, had instead worked for the idols that the people chose to worship instead of serving God. Since they were supposed to be helping the people worship God, they were disobeying God. So here's what God said:
"And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them,” says the Lord God, “that they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it. (Ezekiel 44:10-14 NKJV)
Lilly: There were consequences for the sin that the Levites had committed. They had to bear their shame, and would not get to serve as priests before God. They had chosen the wrong thing, and the results were simply not worth it. But look at what God had to say about men who practiced discernment and chose to do the right when others wouldn't.
"But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge."
(v. 15-16 NKJV)
These particular Levites had chosen to serve God in spite of everyone else choosing sin, and so God promised that they would be able to continue to lead the people spiritually and offer sacrifices to God. They were promised a reward for doing the right thing and practicing discernment. Look at something else God said in Ezekiel 44:23:
"And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." (NKJV, boldface added)
Dodger: Did you see that? By practicing discernment and serving God when others wouldn't the sons of Zadok were given the task by God to teach discernment to others as well. It's important to have discernment that can be spread around.
Lilly: The Bible says that as Christians we need to practice discernment because we're not like the rest of the world anymore. Ephesians 5 says: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:6-10 ESV) We can't live like the rest of the world, because we're God's lights in a dark place. We need to discern God's will and follow it.
Dodger: So how do we practice discernment? How do we develop it?
Lilly: The answer is threefold. 1. Read God's Word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom, and wisdom gives us discernment. If you're studying the Bible often it is much harder to not practice discernment. 2. Listen to God, and people He uses to talk to you. God may speak to you directly, or through a parent, or through someone else. Now of course, you need to use discernment to make sure that it's actually God speaking to you either by Himself or through a person. One good way to do that is measure what you hear by God's Word. If the words and actions you hear are Biblically right, good. If not, throw them away. Words that contradict the Bible are never from God. 3. Pray for discernment. If you ask God for discernment, He'll give it to you. It might not look like it's happening all at once, but that's okay, because He's still giving it to you, even if you can't always tell.
Dodger: Discernment is something we each have to practice, but the more we do, the better we get at it, and the better we become at avoiding the wrong, doing the right and living for God. Well, looks like we have to go again. Thanks for visiting. Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Vaarwel!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(ESV Means English Standard Version)
*The definition of discernment came from Princeton University's Wordnet 3.1, at http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=discernment
