Character Discernment
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
—Romans 8:5
Character discernment is a valuable tool for avoiding toxic entanglements. It is a skill many of us lack. What is character discernment? It is simply the ability to find relationships that are good for you, and to avoid those that are not.
The apostle Paul said, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). Notice he said who, not what. Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
When some people come into your life, they don’t just bring their bodies—they bring their spirits. There are two kinds of people: “flesh people” and “faith people.”
Flesh people tear you down and feed your fears, while faith people build you up and feed your faith. Flesh people waste your time and drain your energy. Often, Christians find themselves in confusing relationships that drain them of their emotional energy and greatly reduce their effectiveness. Think of the personal pain that could be prevented if we knew how to avoid unhealthy relationships.
This doesn’t necessarily mean “flesh people” are bad people; it just means they don’t belong in your inner circle. It also doesn’t mean that you should shun such people; God wants us to love all those we come into contact with. But we have to make sure that we are surrounding ourselves with more people who fill our lives than drain our lives. One of the first warning signs of spiritual failure is when we begin to isolate ourselves from Christian friends and from the house of God.
Faith people are the kind of people who fill your life. They draw you closer to being the person God created you to be. They are the ones who will be lovingly honest with you. They are strong when you are weak.
If God wants to bless you, He will send a person; and if Satan wants to curse you, he will send a person. That’s why, every day, we need to pray for 20/20 discernment in the world of the spirit to know the right people from the wrong people.
Prayer:
Father, strengthen me so that I may live according to the Spirit. May your Holy Spirit work within me so that I may be on my guard and accurately discern the things of the flesh from the things of God; the “flesh people” from the “faith people.” Please continue to bring supportive “faith people” into my life. In Your holy name I pray, amen.
HE'S A GOD OF RESTORATION
'...You shall surely...recover all.' 1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV
One day the Amalekites swept down on King David's home town, burning it to the ground and taking its families captive. In this scene of devastation, David and his men '...lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.' (1 Samuel 30:4 NKJV) Now, God will let you grieve your losses because that's healthy, but He won't allow you to stay there too long. So God said to David, 'Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.' (1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV) Did David and his men get back everything they had lost? Yes, and much more besides, for our God is not only a God of restoration but a God of abundance. You say, 'I feel so ashamed of the years I have wasted.' The God Who created time can give you more of it. 'I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten... the consuming locust...You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.' (Joel 2:25-26 NKJV) Notice the word, 'plenty'. When God blesses you, it will not come from an eyedropper or from a rationed supply. No, you'll be able to sing, 'His love hath no limit; His grace hath no measure, His power no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.' Ever since Adam and Eve 'blew it' in Eden, God's desire and plan has been to restore to us all that we have lost. So come to Him today and let the restoration begin.
CLOSER THAN YOU THINK :
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” (Hebrews 10:35, NIV)
Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you! Be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think. If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you are closer to your victory. It’s always darkest just before the dawn arrives.
You serve a faithful God, and He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Don’t cast away your confidence today because your reward is coming. And just like a new mother forgets about her labor pain when she is finally holding her newborn, you’ll forget about your struggle when you are holding on to your promise.
While you are waiting, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Wake up every morning and say out loud, “I’ve come too far to give up now. My due season is coming. I will reap my harvest.” Stay in faith and look for His hand of blessing because He has promised you victory, and it’s closer than you think!
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
—Romans 8:5
Character discernment is a valuable tool for avoiding toxic entanglements. It is a skill many of us lack. What is character discernment? It is simply the ability to find relationships that are good for you, and to avoid those that are not.
The apostle Paul said, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). Notice he said who, not what. Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
When some people come into your life, they don’t just bring their bodies—they bring their spirits. There are two kinds of people: “flesh people” and “faith people.”
Flesh people tear you down and feed your fears, while faith people build you up and feed your faith. Flesh people waste your time and drain your energy. Often, Christians find themselves in confusing relationships that drain them of their emotional energy and greatly reduce their effectiveness. Think of the personal pain that could be prevented if we knew how to avoid unhealthy relationships.
This doesn’t necessarily mean “flesh people” are bad people; it just means they don’t belong in your inner circle. It also doesn’t mean that you should shun such people; God wants us to love all those we come into contact with. But we have to make sure that we are surrounding ourselves with more people who fill our lives than drain our lives. One of the first warning signs of spiritual failure is when we begin to isolate ourselves from Christian friends and from the house of God.
Faith people are the kind of people who fill your life. They draw you closer to being the person God created you to be. They are the ones who will be lovingly honest with you. They are strong when you are weak.
If God wants to bless you, He will send a person; and if Satan wants to curse you, he will send a person. That’s why, every day, we need to pray for 20/20 discernment in the world of the spirit to know the right people from the wrong people.
Prayer:
Father, strengthen me so that I may live according to the Spirit. May your Holy Spirit work within me so that I may be on my guard and accurately discern the things of the flesh from the things of God; the “flesh people” from the “faith people.” Please continue to bring supportive “faith people” into my life. In Your holy name I pray, amen.
HE'S A GOD OF RESTORATION
'...You shall surely...recover all.' 1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV
One day the Amalekites swept down on King David's home town, burning it to the ground and taking its families captive. In this scene of devastation, David and his men '...lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.' (1 Samuel 30:4 NKJV) Now, God will let you grieve your losses because that's healthy, but He won't allow you to stay there too long. So God said to David, 'Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.' (1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV) Did David and his men get back everything they had lost? Yes, and much more besides, for our God is not only a God of restoration but a God of abundance. You say, 'I feel so ashamed of the years I have wasted.' The God Who created time can give you more of it. 'I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten... the consuming locust...You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.' (Joel 2:25-26 NKJV) Notice the word, 'plenty'. When God blesses you, it will not come from an eyedropper or from a rationed supply. No, you'll be able to sing, 'His love hath no limit; His grace hath no measure, His power no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.' Ever since Adam and Eve 'blew it' in Eden, God's desire and plan has been to restore to us all that we have lost. So come to Him today and let the restoration begin.
CLOSER THAN YOU THINK :
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” (Hebrews 10:35, NIV)
Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you! Be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think. If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you are closer to your victory. It’s always darkest just before the dawn arrives.
You serve a faithful God, and He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Don’t cast away your confidence today because your reward is coming. And just like a new mother forgets about her labor pain when she is finally holding her newborn, you’ll forget about your struggle when you are holding on to your promise.
While you are waiting, keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Wake up every morning and say out loud, “I’ve come too far to give up now. My due season is coming. I will reap my harvest.” Stay in faith and look for His hand of blessing because He has promised you victory, and it’s closer than you think!
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