This lack of discernment is not merely relegated to the secular world. It has invaded the church too. Until recent times, church history has been marked by encouraging Christians to think biblically. Doctrine, theology was taught, thought through and discussed on all levels. Believers studied Scripture, discerned truth and then took strong stands on that truth.

You don’t see that in many churches today. Doctrine is frowned upon. Theology is seen as stuffy and boring. Truth is not valued. Expository preaching is replaced with entertainment. Churches often make a concerted effort to replace biblical teaching with drama, entertainment and multimedia shows as the direct expense of the Gospel message.

Too many services are geared to the emotions not the intellect. Church services should challenge us to think, to think grand thoughts about God and to wrestle with eternal truths. However, we live in an age of the dumbing-down of the church.

Today’s verse calls us to eschew relativism and to carefully discern everything we see and hear according to the Word of God and the Spirit of God. I want our church to be a discerning church. I pray that you will grow spiritually and become more and more discerning. We must be like King David of whom II Samuel 14:17 says he could “discern good and evil.”

Suffice it to say that the Spirit of God leads us and moves us in the direction of God’s will. We trust the Holy Spirit to give us careful discernment in how to live.