DISCERNMENT- A PERSONAL MANIFESTO

Lord, is that Your voice? Or is it mine? Do these ideas originate from within or from Without? Are they from Above, or are they from the depths of my own sub-conscious? Do they reflect my desires or Yours? Do they seek my glory or Yours


It is difficult to say.


It would be arrogant, even blasphemous, to attribute a statement of my own creation to You. I don't want to do that. Even if it is Your voice, how can I be certain that I rightly understand what You are saying? Does my interpretation fly wide of the target? Is it errant?


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At one  time or another all Christians will wrestle with the issue of discerning God’s will for their own lives. Discerning the origin and spirit behind our impressions is notoriously difficult for even the most mature of believers, and within Christendom (and throughout the history of the church) there exists many different ideas about how to discern God's will.


In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we find one of the most famous passages in the New Testament. It reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When we face challenging circumstances or difficult choices in life we may be tempted to believe that all of this business about being “thoroughly equipped” is really a bit of hyperbole. Even a serious or long-time student of the word might ask how the Bible can help them decide between two job offers, two college acceptance letters, whether or not to get married, or how to navigate an interpersonal mine field at work. The above passage makes the unambiguous statement that the Bible gives us all that we need to live a life that is pleasing to God. So, how come it does not speak to these sorts of amoral questions? When this question arises, many Christians are tempted in their reasoning to suspect that God has some other means of revelation for matters of personal discernment. They question the sufficiency of scripture, and turn to other, more slippery, means of discerning God’s will for their lives. The liberating truth is that God is not as concerned with the specific choices we make as He is with the condition of our heart and the sincerity of our walk. Many worry that at some point they zigged when God wanted them to zag, and now the course of their life has drifted unalterably away from God’s best. God’s will is not found in the specific choices we make, but in living a life of joyful obedience. A desire for the Lord and an earnest heart toward Him are His will for our lives, and even if one makes a bad choice God is able to redeem that for His glory and for our betterment (Romans 8:28-29). In fact, the consequences of a wayward decision may be the very tool that God uses to conform the decision maker to the likeness of His Son. A person who is really concerned about God’s will is probably already in it. The willingness and desire after God is the will of God.




But how can the word of God help us in making these sorts of amoral decisions? Although scripture does not speak to all of life’s scenarios it is important to recognize that God is concerned about the choices we make in life. Remember the words from 1 Peter 5:7 “…casting all your care upon Him because He cares for you.” He cares. Even when it feels like our prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling and we are tempted to believe that we are alone with our problems it is important to hold onto the fact that God cares for His people, and he cares about our choices and those things that make us anxious. So what exactly is the relationship between scripture and growing in discernment? A sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading is born out of a high concern for God’s word and obedience in all that he has commanded therein. A pattern of seeking God in His word and obeying His commands will naturally lead to greater discernment. Consider the following verses;


“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6


“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both Good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14


“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.” Romans 12:1-2


It is the very essence of discernment to ask God to direct our paths, to help us in discerning between good and evil, and to prove God’s perfect will for our lives. I suspect, however, that all too often these prayers are divorced from any real effort to acknowledge God in all of our ways, a serious pursuit of personal righteousness, or the renewing of the mind through the transformative study of God’s word. This is why discernment is such a frustrating business for so many. We want answers, and we want them now, but God is not primarily concerned with giving us the answers to our questions as He is with conforming us to the likeness of His son. In the grand scheme of things the choices we make in life are not as consequential as our attitude toward the process, but it is easy to focus solely on the question marks that life raises to the neglect of  what God has made explicitly clear in His word. Discernment accompanies the faithful pursuit of Christ-likeness through the study of His word and obedience to His commands. Just as long association would serve to familiarize us with a person’s preferences so too will spending regular, intimate time with God in His word give us a greater sensitivity to His leading in situations that require discernment.