Discern - to separate, distinguish between, to detect with senses other than vision, to recognize or identify as separate and distinct, right from wrong, to come to know or recognize mentally, to see or understand the difference.“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” Philippians 1
“Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5
Discernment can only grow by “reason of use,” and this use takes place in the relationship of teaching. Too many Christians today have settled for an incessant role as learner. It is not humility to assume the learner’s position – it is rebellion against God’s call on all his children. Yes, not all should presume to take on the corporate position and responsibility of Teacher, but all Christians are called to enter into the relationship of teaching through the covenant of discipleship. We occupy this planet during an unprecedented time of accessible religious and spiritual information, yet we are plagued with immaturity within Christianity. This enigma is due not to a lack of learning, but rather to the abandonment of teaching. It has been said that the teacher has not taught until the student has learned. It would seem that Scripture adds to this that the student has not learned until he or she begins to teach. We cannot sit in the pew listening to sermons or in the office reading commentaries and expect to experience maturity – the kind of true maturity that is evidenced by discernment. We must commit to the sacrificial and humble discipline of teaching.
1 comment:
John Dekker was a missionary to a Stone Age tribe in the 1960's. We are reading the story of his family's life with the Dani's. At first, I was amazed at how quickly he delegated teaching responsibilities to new believers. But the more I read, (and after reading this well-worded post) the more it inspires me. Dani believers learned as quickly as they could because they wanted to share with other Dani's. Then they just went out and did it...virtually unequipped as most of us would assess them. In his epilogue, Dekker writes: "It is not because God's people are so well educated or have so many resources, but becasue of Christ's indwelling presence that His purposes can be realized through His followers. Christ in you the hope of glory --not just for Christians but also for those who as yet need to be reached with the good news.(John 14:20, Col 1:27)"
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