Spiritual Discernment - What It Is And How To Develop It
What comes to mind when you hear the words "spiritual discernment"? Perhaps you consider a spiritual approach to major life decisions, such as marriage or a new job. Consider it a supernatural method of distinguishing between good and evil spirits in the world.
Spiritual discernment is defined as "the process of making a decision in which a person learns something that can lead to action in the future." For a Christian, discernment is the process by which God assists a person in making the optimal decision.
"Discernment" comes from the Latin word "separate" or "put aside." In Christian life, it means being able to tell the difference between good and bad, truth and lie, and wisdom and foolishness.
Discernment is a valuable asset in a variety of situations in our lives. It is the ability to look at what's going on and make decisions while keeping in mind what the moral consequences of each choice might be.
A man with his hands joined together placed on a Bible
Spiritual discernment is frequently misunderstood as a God-given perception of good or wicked spiritual energies. Wisdom, on the other hand, is about being able to tell the difference between right and wrong, not just between good and bad.
We will learn to discriminate between right and wrong when we know and obey God's word. This is, in some ways, the essence of the discernment process. Being able to discern between worldly people and God's voice, as well as discern when something feels right or wrong.
We mere mortals frequently fail to consider supernatural intervention while making decisions regarding our lives. There are two kinds of decisions: head-based (governed by logos, which means logic) and heart-based (those ruled by ethos, meaning emotions).
Most rational, impersonal, and objective people make decisions with their heads. Heart-based decision-makers are regarded as passionate, compassionate, and emotionally centered. Both logos and ethos have advantages and disadvantages, but using either one or the other when making decisions can be dangerous.
The combination of these two ways of thinking is discernment. This lets us make smart decisions based on logic and avoid missing small details. We can also show empathy and understand other people's points of view.
Scripture says that if we are smart and walk in the ways of the Lord, our lives demonstrate a discernment spirit. “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them” (Hosea 14:9).
All spiritual gifts are abilities that the Holy Spirit empowers and enables to be used for the edification of the church. If you have the gift of discernment, it isn't demonstrated by your wisdom and savvy at work or by your strong ideas that stand out among nonbelievers. It is given to you to raise and encourage the body of Christ if it is genuinely a gift.
It means comprehending anything via the power of the Holy Spirit. It means seeing people for who they really are and figuring out why and what spiritual signs mean.
Allow yourself enough time to make an informed decision. Think of your discernment as a journey that will help you grow as a person and as a spiritual being.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to build spiritual discernment now that you have a greater knowledge of what it is. When you want to improve at something, you practice with the greatest techniques available. You improve your skills as you practice. After all, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
If we want to acquire spiritual discernment through the spirit of God, we must do more than just read about it or picture it; we must go out and do it. It may appear difficult at first, but with more practice, it becomes second nature.
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
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