The Heart of Christian Discernment

Recently during a time of prayer the Holy Spirit brought my mind back to the word he highlighted to me at the end of last year. It was: discern.

When I talk about discernment I’m not speaking about the spiritual gift of sensing demonic entities. I am talking about the common discernment all Spirit-filled believers have to perceive and evaluate the movements of God in our individual lives, and communities. The Father is always speaking and moving. He wants us to know what he’s up to so we can agree in prayer, and partner with him in the ways he invites us to do so. He wants us to discern and (this is important) judge what we believe we perceive according to his standards, not ours. 

We live in an incredibly fast paced world. News stories barely keep our attention for a 24-hour cycle. Entertainment, celebrities, influencers, and fashion trends turn over in popularity at lightning speed. It is incredibly difficult to keep up, much less have a Kingdom impact in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards Christianity. 

In many ways we in the West have become a people whose primary work in the world is to consume disposable items, and have casual, commitment free interactions. We are convenience junkies. We are often allergic to deep relational attachments. We are impatient and want our results NOW.

Perhaps this sounds a little harsh and of course there are many modern technological conveniences that I wouldn’t want to be without. But here’s my point, and the place the Lord led me to in prayer that evening back in late December: If we have predisposed ourselves to expect instant responses, results, and gratification to all of our desires, big and small, what makes us think we won’t apply those same standards, expectations, and means of evaluation to the work and movement of God in our lives and in the world?

Paul tells us plainly in 1 Cor. 2:13 that spiritual realities cannot be understood or explained by human wisdom (my paraphrase), but rather we need the wisdom that is born of the Holy Spirit. Personally, I know I don’t walk around intentionally applying worldly standards in my life, and I assume you don’t either, but what if I am doing it unintentionally via ingrained habits and expectations? 

In verse 1 Cor. 2:6 Paul notes that this teaching (about spiritual realities and spiritual wisdom) is a teaching for mature Christians. So, what is a mature Christian? At the end of the chapter Paul tells us that we have the mind of Christ. So presumably a mature Christian is someone who thinks with the mind of Christ. How do we do that?

Assuming we automatically know how to think with the mind of Christ may be a bit optimistic. After all, Paul did have to write an awful lot of letters to spirit-filled believers who were making some pretty interesting mistakes. If thinking with the mind of Christ, and understanding his ways and desires was so obvious, Paul wouldn’t have had to write the equivalent of  “don’t make me pull this car over,” to the church at Corinth. 

While in prayer asking the Lord what maturity looked like he led me to two passages in scripture. The first was Galatians 5:22-26:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The second was John 15:4-8:

 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

What I believe the Lord was highlighting was just how contrary his ways are to the ways of the world. He will often direct us to stop when everything and everyone around us demands that we “go go go!” He often asks us to wait when it seems like waiting will cost us valuable time and opportunities. And he often asks us to be patient and give space in our lives for people who challenge our sense of comfort but who will benefit from the same patient discipleship we have likely benefited from ourselves. Consider what the cost is in the moments we resist the Lord’s slow other-wordly way of doing things. We run the risk of blocking and delaying the moments when he wants to come and intervene or reveal himself!

Maturity is deferring to, and preferring the Father’s way in every moment. I am confident it won’t make us look successful or savvy. In fact I am sure it will do just the opposite.

The Holy Spirit is asking us to value what he values above all else no matter how it may look to others. The Lord desires us to be treasure hunters for evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives and in the world around us. He is calling his Bride to be holy and set apart only for him. He desires us to be a strange and glorious sign of his love in the midst of our fast paced, flesh-driven world. Abiding in him is the only way to become wise as he desires us to be wise. And operating with his wisdom is the heart of true discernment.