Too often, people think they have the gift of discernment when in fact they have a critical, fault-finding, cynical, and negative spirit. They think they have the gift of discernment when they’re actually sinning!

One of the spiritual gifts God gives the Church is discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10). The Church needs people who are able to discern error since we’re called upon to “test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Churches are helped by those who have the ability to detect error, who are bold and courageous, and who can clearly explain where error was present. However, every good gift God gives us can easily be abused.

Too often, people think they have the gift of discernment when in fact they have a critical, fault-finding, cynical, and negative spirit. They think they have the gift of discernment when they’re actually sinning!

Our Motivation and Goal

People may think they have the spiritual gift of discernment when they’re actually sinning!We need to remember what Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:29 when he says, “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”

This verse can assist us in determining if we really have the gift of discernment. Is our motivation to grant grace to those who hear us? Are we building others up or tearing them down?

One question we can ask ourselves is, “Are we truly loving those whom we’re correcting, or do we just want to express our opinion because we’re certain we’re correct?” By God’s grace, we should want to speak healing words that strengthen others.

Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many.” When we think another person is incorrect, our first desire should be to build them up and encourage them, even if that means they need some correction along the way.

The Danger of Being Critical

Because we all need evaluation from others, saying a hard thing to someone else can be an act of love.

Proverbs tells us flattery isn’t love and that the wounds of a friend are faithful (Proverbs 27:26). Friends speak to us face to face about our sins and don’t flatter us. However, that is different from being critical, cynical, and negative.

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