Relationship and Discernment
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| Photo by JÉSHOOTS |
"For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil." - Hebrews 5:13-14
Small plastic bowls and containers are difficult to come by
in prison, so I will look for containers I can reuse or repurpose. In the
commissary here they sell small tubs of sliced jalapenos and when I have used
up all the jalapenos, I will pour out the vinegar and jalapeno juice and wash
the bowl out to reuse for other things.
The problem is that when I pour out the jalapeno juice, the
flavor and the aroma of the jalapenos lingers in the plastic. This essence of
jalapeno will then infuse whatever I put in the bowl, and often leave my whole
locker smelling of jalapenos. Eventually this essence of jalapeno washes or
wears out, and the container is much more useful.
We live in the world with its system of values controlled by
Satan. We are immersed in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the
pride of life. This worldliness surrounds us and presses in on us, as if it is
in the very air we breathe. It is nearly impossible to escape.
The values and standards of the world have a way of creeping
up on us. Just as the jalapenos over time seeped into the plastic of that
container and left it smelling of jalapenos, as we linger in the world those
values influence us.
Gradually, over time, what we once denounced as
reprehensible we now think is more tolerable. What was once tolerable, now is
acceptable, what was acceptable we now celebrate. Sometimes we have slid so far
into the world that if others are not celebrating sin with us, we criticize and
punish them. We have all witnessed this rapid cultural shift around us.
The problem is that many Christians have shifted right along
with the culture. We might not celebrate all that the world celebrates, but we
accept and tolerate more and more.
This happens because we lack spiritual discernment. We lack
the spiritual understanding to clearly identify what is good and evil.
How do we cultivate this discernment? If we have some
discernment, how can we grow that discernment and make it stronger?
One of the best ways we can develop discernment is through
strengthening our relationship with Jesus Christ.
When my Aunt Lisa married my Uncle Ed many years ago, she
was not interested in football at all. My uncle, however, has always, and will
probably always be, a Dallas Cowboys fan. A few years back at a Thanksgiving
gathering, the game was on the TV, and out of nowhere my aunt started yelling
nonsense at the TV. I forget the details, but probably something like,
"Where's the flag, ref!? Come
on!" It caught me a bit off guard. Somehow,
gradually, over the years, after indulging my uncle and watching football game
after football game with him, she came to understand the game and even become
emotionally invested in the outcome.
My uncle's love for sports gradually, over time, seeped into
my aunt and she became a sports fan as well.
If we love the Lord, we cling to him and his essence comes
to fill us. As we walk with the him, his character and nature rubs off on us,
it infuses us and we become more and more like him. We come to love what he loves and hate what
he hates.
Jesus said this, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can
ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
Jesus compared our relationship with him to a branch growing
from a vine. Just as the branch abides in the vine, we should abide in him. He
is the source of life; he pours his life into us, and we bear fruit. Many times,
the reason we lack spiritual understanding and discernment is because we are
not abiding in Christ. We are not dwelling in him, lingering in his presence. Instead
of Christ's sweet essence, the bitter aroma of the world is filling us.
In the first chapter of John's Gospel, he describes Jesus
Christ as the Word made flesh. If we desire to abide in Christ, the best way to
do that is to abide in his Word, to linger in Scripture, to read it, study it
and meditate on it.
As we abide in Christ, gradually, over time, we come to love
what he loves and hate what he hates. The values and standards of the world are
purged from us, and we are filled with godly discernment.
The New Testament makes it clear that we cannot love the
World and the Lord at the same time. Unfortunately, this is what many of us do.
We claim the name of Christ and continue to love the pride, status, greed,
racism, bigotry and hatred of the world, and take no issue in associating
ourselves and supporting those who live for these things. As we cultivate our
walk with God, we come to find that these are things that God hates, and we
should hate them as well.
If we love the Lord, we will love what he loves. We will
love our neighbors. We will love kindness, generosity, humility, forgiveness,
repentance, righteousness and holiness, and we will admire those things and
look for those traits in ourselves and those we associate with.
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