Discernment: The Way to Walk in God's Perfect Will
"Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." John 6:15
Watching Jesus is the best thing you would ever do. When the Bible tells us that He was tempted at all points just like us, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15), it didn't only refer to the three temptations in the wilderness at the beginning of His ministry. Throughout His lifetime He was being tempted, and our opening verse talks of an example of the same. After feeding the 5,000 men, women and children excluded, they wanted to make Him king. Jesus knew that He had come to establish His kingdom here on earth, and that He was the long awaited King and Messiah, but He also knew how this would happen. It was not to happen the way men expected it to, the way they wanted to do it and they way it was always done, but through the Father's way. He discerned that they were about to get Him out of God's will, and He didn't stand there and wait; He walked away, right into God's will, which was for Him to be on the mountain, fellowshipping with Him, and wait till His time came, for Him to be glorified through death and resurrection.
When He discerned God's will and what the people wanted to do, He realigned Himself to God's purpose and will. Later on, He crossed over with His disciples to Capernaum, and the same multitude followed Him there. He discerned again that they were not following Him because they believed in Him, but because they ate and were full, and wanted to be fed again (John 6:26). In the world we are living in and at these times, we also ought to walk in discernment, if we are to walk and remain in God's purpose and will. The world will try hard to conform us to its expectations of us, to its desires, plans and purposes, which are never in line with God's, and it is up to us to walk with God with such intimacy that we will know when to walk away. If you are a young preacher, the world or the world in the church will start pressuring you to open your own church and leave where you are; if you are a worship leader, to record or join a church where you will be recognized; if you are a helper, go somewhere where you will be appreciated; if you serve in church, go where you will be paid; and so on and so forth. All seem like God's will, but it calls for discernment to abide by God's perfect and ultimate will. It's not about the destination, it's about HOW you get there. To many, HOW does not matter, but to God, it does. If the "how" did not matter, God would have gotten the children of Israel to Canaan in 11 days (Deut. 1:2-3); but it took them 40 years, because it's not all about the destination, but about how to get there. Discernment will help you to know how God wants you to get there, and rule out any other way that is not God's way of getting where He wants you to be.
Discernment will help us to know where we are supposed to be, with who, at what time, doing what, and why; this is success, basically. So, discernment will help us walk in and enjoy success, God's way. It is something to be desired, and God's gift to His children, through the Holy Spirit. This is not to be confused with the gift of discernment that is talked about in 1 Cor. 12:10, which is given to specific people for a specific ministry, for the benefit of the church. Though they both operate in a similar way, unlike the ministry of discernment, the discernment I'm talking about is one that every believer can and should walk in. It's the same that will help us fulfill 1 John 4:1, testing every spirit, and the one that will help us to prove God's good, perfect and acceptable will, as talked about in Rom 12:3.
So, what do you need to do in order to operate in and enjoy the benefits of discernment?
It is the Father's will for us to walk in His perfect, acceptable and good will, which is why He has given us His Spirit to help us do it, through the gift of discernment. Take advantage of it, and walk in God's ultimate and perfect will for your life.
Blessings.
-- Sam Gitonga.
(21/09/14 Sunday Service Morning Exhortation, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)
Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.
Watching Jesus is the best thing you would ever do. When the Bible tells us that He was tempted at all points just like us, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15), it didn't only refer to the three temptations in the wilderness at the beginning of His ministry. Throughout His lifetime He was being tempted, and our opening verse talks of an example of the same. After feeding the 5,000 men, women and children excluded, they wanted to make Him king. Jesus knew that He had come to establish His kingdom here on earth, and that He was the long awaited King and Messiah, but He also knew how this would happen. It was not to happen the way men expected it to, the way they wanted to do it and they way it was always done, but through the Father's way. He discerned that they were about to get Him out of God's will, and He didn't stand there and wait; He walked away, right into God's will, which was for Him to be on the mountain, fellowshipping with Him, and wait till His time came, for Him to be glorified through death and resurrection.
When He discerned God's will and what the people wanted to do, He realigned Himself to God's purpose and will. Later on, He crossed over with His disciples to Capernaum, and the same multitude followed Him there. He discerned again that they were not following Him because they believed in Him, but because they ate and were full, and wanted to be fed again (John 6:26). In the world we are living in and at these times, we also ought to walk in discernment, if we are to walk and remain in God's purpose and will. The world will try hard to conform us to its expectations of us, to its desires, plans and purposes, which are never in line with God's, and it is up to us to walk with God with such intimacy that we will know when to walk away. If you are a young preacher, the world or the world in the church will start pressuring you to open your own church and leave where you are; if you are a worship leader, to record or join a church where you will be recognized; if you are a helper, go somewhere where you will be appreciated; if you serve in church, go where you will be paid; and so on and so forth. All seem like God's will, but it calls for discernment to abide by God's perfect and ultimate will. It's not about the destination, it's about HOW you get there. To many, HOW does not matter, but to God, it does. If the "how" did not matter, God would have gotten the children of Israel to Canaan in 11 days (Deut. 1:2-3); but it took them 40 years, because it's not all about the destination, but about how to get there. Discernment will help you to know how God wants you to get there, and rule out any other way that is not God's way of getting where He wants you to be.
Discernment will help us to know where we are supposed to be, with who, at what time, doing what, and why; this is success, basically. So, discernment will help us walk in and enjoy success, God's way. It is something to be desired, and God's gift to His children, through the Holy Spirit. This is not to be confused with the gift of discernment that is talked about in 1 Cor. 12:10, which is given to specific people for a specific ministry, for the benefit of the church. Though they both operate in a similar way, unlike the ministry of discernment, the discernment I'm talking about is one that every believer can and should walk in. It's the same that will help us fulfill 1 John 4:1, testing every spirit, and the one that will help us to prove God's good, perfect and acceptable will, as talked about in Rom 12:3.
So, what do you need to do in order to operate in and enjoy the benefits of discernment?
- Learn and know about the gift.
- Desire to walk in the gift.
- Believe you can walk in it, and receive it. It is not something we get to do in our own abilities, but rather that the Spirit helps us to walk in. This is why John 16:13 says, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." That, basically, is discernment, being able to know all truth, and know of things to come. This also shows us that Jesus didn't restrict the gift to anyone in specific, meaning He was talking about all believers. Ask for it, by faith, that God may help you to always walk in discernment, then receive it by faith, according to Mark 11:24. We have not because we ask not (James 4:2).
- Fellowship with God. Jesus often spent quiet time with God, on the mountain, which is how He was able to operate through the gift often. That's why in our opening verse it says He departed again to the mountain to pray, meaning this was not the first time He did it. Romans 12:1-2 also tells us that when we keep presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord, keep being transformed by the renewing of our minds, through the word of God, and keep refusing to be conformed to the patterns of this world, we will be able to prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. Basically this is discernment, and calls for fellowship with God. Spend time in prayer, not just once in a while, but rather pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17); spend time in the word of God, again not a once in a while affair, but meditate on the word of God day and night (Josh. 1:7-9); fellowship with other believers, especially ones that are equally given to the will and purpose of God, as bad company will draw you away from God's purpose and will, and hinder you from discerning God's will and purpose, through conformity to the patterns of the world.
It is the Father's will for us to walk in His perfect, acceptable and good will, which is why He has given us His Spirit to help us do it, through the gift of discernment. Take advantage of it, and walk in God's ultimate and perfect will for your life.
Blessings.
-- Sam Gitonga.
(21/09/14 Sunday Service Morning Exhortation, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)
Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.
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Blessings.