Growing, not stagnating

This week's study is how to grow in discernment; it's about how to avoid being stagnant, and to journey toward more Christ-like behavior.
This is an off-shoot of our II Peter study, and some helpful verses are found here:

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)

Many people who feel that they have the gift of discernment do more destruction than they do building up. Instead of edifying, they are tearing down. In their cases, the concept of "pretty is as pretty does," or "walk the walk," is still a goal, and not yet achieved. Having and using the gift of discernment doesn't mean that we walk around telling everyone what they are doing wrong. It doesn't mean that we look down our noses at others who are not as "spiritual" as we are . . .

True discernment is an incredibly valuable tool in the toolkit of the body of Christ. But for every article from Christians online, we can search and find other Christians who hold opposing views. It even gets to the point where one group says "God is working!" and another says it's the work of the devil. Oy vey.
While a basic definition of discernment is simply telling the difference between truth and error, I Corinthians sheds some light on our discussion. One of the gifts listed is "discerning of spirits." This has to do with knowing the motivation of a person or group. Knowing the source of the thoughts or motivation . . . this truly takes wisdom (another synonym for discernment!).
If we want to walk in clarity and in wisdom, there are some key things that we can do. Those will be our study points for this week.

First, we need to make sure that we don't assume we know everyone's motives right-off-the-bat. As human beings, we judge the book by its cover, and we often lean toward assigning a motive that is evil. Many times we look at ourselves positively and judge others by their worst possible intentions! We can very quickly paint a lurid picture of what someone "must" have been intending to do or say. Granted, it's very easy to do this, because we had some pretty rotten motives ourselves "back in the day," before we were saved:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:3-5)

So, it's pretty easy for us to think negatively of others, and to feel that we automatically (and instantly) know what's driving them. But even as we are standing there, judging those books by their outside covers, and by our past thoughts and sins, God is looking deeper. God is weighing, and knowing:

A person may think their own ways are right,    but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2)

 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

Our first step toward greater clarity, wisdom, and discernment will be to develop a rule for ourselves: we will not assume to know someone's motives unless they express it to us directly, or we have considered their fruits (or lack of spiritual fruit) for quite some time......no jumping to conclusions!
This will keep us from hurriedly deciding on a negative slant or motive for someone's actions or words. This will keep us from coming under suspicion or criticism ourselves.

Secondly, we need to soberly consider our own issues. What do we mean?  Well, we alluded earlier to past sins and problems in our own lives . . . sometimes those can cause us to project to others. In other words, if someone thinks they see sexual sin in every single person they speak to, it could be that they are struggling (or struggled in the past) with that issue. If they feel that everyone in church is speaking critically and harshly, perhaps they are projecting that to other people because of their own struggles to tame their tongue.  We can think others are motivated by things that stem from our own hurts, weaknesses, and sins.

"Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24)

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

We need to be careful to avoid this kind of thinking. If we first truly and soberly consider our own issues, we may be better able to see (discern) others' motives more clearly.