The easy answer that even an eight-year-old Sunday school student would blurt out is “God.” Yes, that is true but how do you know if it is God or not? Even seasoned Christians struggle with this. I have heard the voice of God in my spirit so clear that it might as well have been audible. There are other times I question, “Is that God’s voice, my thoughts, or even the enemy’s voice trying to trick me?”
Listen to what the Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 NKJV).
A partial definition of discernment from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “comprehend what is obscure.” In the spiritual sense, it is not a revelation of specific knowledge but a discrimination between two opposing points such as good versus bad, righteous versus evil, or right versus wrong. The testing of spirits is discerning if they are to be trusted or not.
Discernment only reveals if it is good or bad. It does elaborate on the why. This makes discernment bewildering because we want to know why. It is like a mother telling her daughter to stay away from a certain boy and the daughter asks “Why?”. The mother counters with, “I just a have a feeling about him.” You can imagine the smirk on the daughter’s face at this point. By the way, mature women seem to have more discernment than men, so sons and daughters trust your mom and husbands trust your wife!
In our human experience, we sometimes refer to discernment as a “gut feeling” which is not always hundred percent accurate. Some people have good discernment and others not so much. Our so-called human discernment can also be influenced by our preconceived notions or personal bias. Yes, it is a little complicated.
There is a biblical, spiritual gift called “discerning of spirits” that is found in 1 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV). The word “spirits” can mean both spiritual beings such as angels or demons and people since all humans have a human spirit (our innermost component). Christians have access to this spiritual gift of discernment via the Holy Spirit who abides in us.
How does this play out in the real world? An example may be an introduction to a person who seems to check all the good boxes. All the external signs are good—they say the right things and their actions are acceptable. Yet, we have an unexplainable “gnawing” in our spirit that something is not right about the individual. If this “gnawing” (sometimes referred to as a “catch in your spirit”) is from the Holy Spirit, then this is a classic example of discernment.
In my early Christian life, I was prone to dismiss discernment because I felt like my gut-feeling was being judgmental without some explainable evidence. Our natural defense depends upon a certain degree of split-second judgment to stay safe. Personally, if I find myself alone in a parking deck and a group of three men are walking toward me, I intuitively size them up as a threat or not. I can potentially be right or wrong in my estimation, but my safety is more important than some false guilt over being judgmental. If I think they could possibly be a threat and I discreetly change my path to avoid them—no harm, no foul.
Please keep in mind that we operate in a flawed human existence, so we are capable of being wrong. Our correct discernment gets better over time as we become more experienced. We often learn by trial and error. Over time, we are able by experience, to better learn the voice of God. When my wife calls on the telephone, I do not need caller ID to know who it is, I recognize her voice because of our long relationship. The same holds true to the voice of God.
The first test of discernment is by filtering it through the Bible. If we are knowledgeable in the Bible, then we will be able to recognize unbiblical urgings whether directly from the mouth of an individual or a voice in our head. God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit would NEVER tell us to do something that is contrary to the Word of God.
If someone or some voice tells us to do something and we are not sure, then wait for a confirmation.
The more we obey God the better our discernment will become. The more we disobey God the worse our discernment will become. Through disobedience our conscience can become scarred and unresponsive to God, as confirmed by this scripture: “having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2 NKJV).
When we feel a catch in our spirit, do not be quick to dismiss it. Consider it, filter it through the Word of God, seek advice from a trusted friend or mentor, and/or wait for some confirmation.
If we have time, take time. We should not be in a rush to make decisions if we have the good fortune of time.
There will be times when we do not have the luxury of time. The situation may require a spit-second decision based on our present discernment. In such situations, I usually say a quick prayer, “Lord, show me what I need to do!!!” In those moments, I often get a second confirmation one way or the other. We will develop a keener sense of discernment over time and experience in these types of situations.
We will make some mistakes along the way. Wisdom comes by learning from our mistakes. If our mistake offends or affects someone in the wrong way, then we should apologize without explanation. An explained apology is not a true apology but a means of excusing ourselves.
Love is the default position for the Christ follower. If people know we love Jesus, love people, and that our usual demeanor is kindness, they are more apt to reciprocate with more grace. “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (1 Pet. 4:8 NKJV).
I hope this will help you in your life as discernment becomes a factor in your everyday life. Remember, discernment from God is given to us and those under our care for protection and proper decision-making. Learn to use it and grow in it.
Yours on the Journey,
Harry L. Whitt
Pathway Journey 