Episode 120

The things of God sound foolish to the natural man because these things are spiritually discerned. I am so grateful for the assurance that God’s Spirit alive in me helps me understand spiritual things. Since we have the mind of Christ, we can evaluate all things, reject lies, and receive truth. Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth explains this, and I know you’ll be encouraged by its promise for those of us who know, love and serve Jesus. I like how the NKJV puts 1 Corinthians 2:14. “He who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.” I used to tell my children that there’s a difference between being judgmental and being discerning. We must evaluate all things and discern right from wrong. We don’t cast judgment on people—that’s God’s job. But we do make judgment calls based on insight we receive from the Spirit of God. I’m not only encouraged to know that I can understand and discern spiritual truth, but I’m also relieved to know that it’s not up to me to make sure other people understand the things of God. Only God can help people understand the things of God. I can share the gospel and pray with people. I can teach the Word of God and live it out by my own example. But only those of us who have received God’s Spirit can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. What’s more, we understand that only God can judge us rightly. Some may think I come across as a fool because of what I believe and say about the Spirit of God or the things of God. I can know deep in my spirit that because I have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), I can understand what the Spirit means. I can discern right from wrong and good from evil. God is not the author of confusion but of peace. He is not a God of disorder. When the world looks crazy to me and I look foolish to the world, I take comfort knowing that I have the mind of Christ and can understand the Spirit of God. Have you visited my website lately? The “Podcast” tab in the main navigation bar now not only takes you to this podcast, where you can see all the images that I create each week with the declarations on them, but it also provides a link to my new video podcast called, “Find Joy.” The first 10 episodes walk you through my book, Longing to Belong. I’ve already posted five episodes, so we are halfway through, but you can join in at the beginning at any time. Learn more on my website at shawnamariebryant.com. This week's scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:11-16