Here are a few good words from Francis Frangipane’s “The 3 Battlegrounds”, regarding Discernment:

 

“If we do not move in divine forgiveness, we will walk in much deception. We will presume we have discernment when, in truth, we are seeing through the weil of a “critical spirit.” We must know our weaknesses, for if we are blind to our sins, what we assume we discern in men will merely be the reflection of ourselves. Indeed, if we do not move in love, we will actually become a menace to the body of Christ.

 

The judgmental carnal mind always see the image of itself in others. Without realizing it is seeing itself, it assumes it is perceiving others. Jesus refers to the person who judges as a “hypocrite”.  All true discernment comes through a heart that has ceased striving, a heart that knows, even in the fiery trial of its personal struggle, that the Lord is God.

 

Discernment comes from abounding love. There is a false discernment that is based on mistrust, suspicion, and fear. You can recognize false discernment by the coldness around it. It comes out of criticism. True discernment is rooted deeply in love.

 

Love precedes peace, and peace precedes perception. Without love and peace in your heart, your judgment will be overly harsh. Regardless of the smile upon your face, your heart will have too much anger. False discernment is always slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger.

 

There is a tension underlying false discernment, an anxiety that pressures the mind to make  judgment. Therefore, we must learn to mistrust our judgement when our heart is bitter, angry, ambitious, or harboring strife for any reason. To hear clearly from God, we must first have peace.

 

If we want discernment we must become aggressively calm. This is not a passive state of mind, but an expectant, focused waiting upon God.”

 

 

May the Lord bless me, and all of us on TT, with true discernment, that comes from a loving and peaceful heart resting in Christ. J Izzy

 

 

 

 

 

 

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