"Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is to know the difference between right and almost right." -Charles Spurgeon
Pow! There you have it. Discernment in a nutshell.
It is pretty simple, really. They say "the devil is in the details," and this would echo that thought. Right and almost right can look so similar.
Wisdom and discernment are gifts from the Spirit. They are not the same. They complement each other. What are the Gifts of the Spirit?
"To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice ; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said." -1 Corinthians 12:8-10
Being able to discern from right and almost right can change our path. It can change the direction of a couple, a community, or a congregation.
The discerning observation is not always popular. It can be quite uncomfortable.
"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” -John 4:24
Do we ask God what message He has for us today? Do we pause to listen to the answer?
Today, I am grateful for a lesson on discernment.
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