Spiritual discernment is the ability to see things from the Lord’s viewpoint. That means being able not only to separate truth from error but also to grasp the finer distinction between what is good and what is best. But how can we acquire such a skill?
In his classic work My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers gives us the answer. He writes, “Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself—begin to have spiritual discernment.”
Trusting obedience is the first step to understanding, and it is something only God can bestow on us (1 Cor. 2:12). However, if we submit to our heavenly Father’s teachings and “cut the lines that tie [us] to the dock” as Chambers encourages, we will be blessed (John 13:16-17). This is God’s desire for us. How could we want anything less?
And that’s the memo.
By InTouch Ministries
