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"Abounding Love brings discernment with it"
" I pray "that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment" (Phil 1: 9)
Discernment comes from abounding love. What is abounding love? It is love that leaps out from us toward others. It is motivated by long term commitment; it is anointed by sacrificial charity.
There is a false discernment that is based on mistrust, suspicion, and fear. You can recognize false discernment by the coldness around it. False discernment may be packaged in a type of love, but it does not originate in love; it comes out of criticism. true discernment is rooted deeply in love.
picture, if you will, a long haired young man. His clothes are unkempt and he has tattoos on his arms. It is night and he is walking toward you on a lonely street. it is easy to judge such a person after the obvious and superficial. Now look at this young man in the same setting, but as his mother. You can still see his outer appearance, but when you look at him. you have insight into his life and hope for his future. you see a little boy growing up without a father, a child rejected often by his friends. You have a commitment toward this man that runs deep, that has been sustained by love, that you have carried since you suffered in giving him birth.
False discernment sees the outside of the person or situation and pretends it knows the inside. Godly discernment comes from having godly motives; godly motives are those rooted in God's committed love. In like manner, our capacity to discern the needs of the church will never rise higher than that which is superficial if we do not know Christ's heart for His people.
Jesus said, "do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement" (John 7:24). Righteous judgement is the direct result of love. If you cannot pray in love for a person or the church, do not presume you have true discernment. Love precedes peace, and peace precedes perception. Without love and peace in your heart, your judgement 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.
PEACE MUST RULE OUR HEARTS
there is a tension underlying false discernment, an anxiety that pressures the mind to make a judgement. True discernment emerges out of a tranquil and pure heart, one that is almost surprised by the wisdome and grace in the voice of GOD."- Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds
It is truly amazing to hear the voice of GOD inside our hearts. I pray everyone is able to hear the peaceful music and love of God inside their hearts.
" I pray "that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment" (Phil 1: 9)
Discernment comes from abounding love. What is abounding love? It is love that leaps out from us toward others. It is motivated by long term commitment; it is anointed by sacrificial charity.
There is a false discernment that is based on mistrust, suspicion, and fear. You can recognize false discernment by the coldness around it. False discernment may be packaged in a type of love, but it does not originate in love; it comes out of criticism. true discernment is rooted deeply in love.
picture, if you will, a long haired young man. His clothes are unkempt and he has tattoos on his arms. It is night and he is walking toward you on a lonely street. it is easy to judge such a person after the obvious and superficial. Now look at this young man in the same setting, but as his mother. You can still see his outer appearance, but when you look at him. you have insight into his life and hope for his future. you see a little boy growing up without a father, a child rejected often by his friends. You have a commitment toward this man that runs deep, that has been sustained by love, that you have carried since you suffered in giving him birth.
False discernment sees the outside of the person or situation and pretends it knows the inside. Godly discernment comes from having godly motives; godly motives are those rooted in God's committed love. In like manner, our capacity to discern the needs of the church will never rise higher than that which is superficial if we do not know Christ's heart for His people.
Jesus said, "do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement" (John 7:24). Righteous judgement is the direct result of love. If you cannot pray in love for a person or the church, do not presume you have true discernment. Love precedes peace, and peace precedes perception. Without love and peace in your heart, your judgement 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.
PEACE MUST RULE OUR HEARTS
there is a tension underlying false discernment, an anxiety that pressures the mind to make a judgement. True discernment emerges out of a tranquil and pure heart, one that is almost surprised by the wisdome and grace in the voice of GOD."- Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds
It is truly amazing to hear the voice of GOD inside our hearts. I pray everyone is able to hear the peaceful music and love of God inside their hearts.