Survival Mode: Discernment
Anyone who believes we are not born sinful has never lived with a toddler. Lying, stealing and deception come easily to them. The truth is not in them. As I scroll through social media, watch news and read news magazines, I often think, the truth is not in them. The covid numbers, the behavior of protesters and police, the prophecies surrounding the current state of our world are overwhelming. Even doctors and nurses disagree daily on how to manage this pandemic. The conflicting views are mind boggling.
In Max Lucado’s You’ll Get through This, he repeats a mantra that includes, “ Don’t be foolish or naïve, but don’t despair either.” The only cure for foolish and naïve is discernment.
In Philippians 1:9 & 10 Paul tells the church his prayer “ that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” Discern. ie:
Understand what really matters Approve what it excellent Able to test and prove
· How to make the right choices Be able to choose what is best Decide what is best
· Distinguish things that are suitable Proving things that differ Use your head and test your feelings
The world we are living in demands we test and prove every word that comes our way. Even among our spiritual leaders for the Bible warns, that even God’s chosen ones may be deceived in the last days. ( Matt 2:24, Mark 13:22). We must examine every word for righteousness. Apply spiritual judgement to every message received in sermons, in emails and in social media posts. The only way to apply spiritual judgement is to know God’s Word. I had a pastor tell the congregation, Bring your Bible to every service and open it to every devotion. Make sure it says what the preacher/teacher says it does. (I’m happy to say I’ve never caught a preacher misquoting) but I have heard others and read things that were not true. Just this week I heard a black Pastor relate that as young man he was told the Bible said different color people should not be in the same room because “Birds of a feather should flock together”. That’s not in the Bible. (I’ve got more but that’s a post for another day).
Never before has it been more important to know the word of God so that we can discern what is right and pure. To know Truth. The Word of God has to be our standard and prayer has to be our light. Oh God, help us discern truth in these days.
Thinkin’ about that.
