Discernment

We all have an inherent tendency to apply the Bible to our lives in black-and-white, all-or-nothing applications. Living as we do in a pragmatic, cut-to-the-chase age, we've gotten accustomed to adopting formulas that enable us to avoid the exercise of discernment.

 

And when we live by formulas, we don't glorify God as we should, and we also miss out on many freedoms that are ours to enjoy in the Christian life.

 

Establishing our own standards takes less time and effort, but it eventually enslaves us to legalism. Discernment, on the other hand, requires us to know Scripture, which takes a good bit of time and effort. But the more we know it, the more we will have a well-rounded understanding of how to apply it practically.

We will come to understand how the Bible that tells us, "God has given us everything for our enjoyment" is the same Bible that calls us to lay down our lives. If we get stuck on formulas and rules, we're going to get hung up on what seem like contradictions in God's Word. But if we learn to discern, we'll be able to see how its multi-faceted truths apply to the issues of our daily lives.

The Proverbs 31 woman is the quintessential discerner. She learned how to feed the hungry and how to make herself attractive—and glorifying God in it all. Learning to discern teaches us balance. Notice in Proverbs 31:10-31 how many of the verses are devoted to the woman's appearance in comparison to the number that focus on her charity, hard work, and family responsibilities. Nevertheless, her "fear of the Lord," which is at the heart of biblical discernment, or wisdom, taught her the freedom to enjoy all those things.

The more we know Scripture, the more we'll love God. And as our love for Him grows, we'll find ourselves asking less often what the rules are, because we'll care a lot less about what we're "allowed" to do and more about what we "get" to do in our love for God.