Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-led Decision Making – Day 10

As I typed the number 10, I realized that today will conclude this devotional and a new one is coming soon. As I consider that we have gone through 9 days already and what it has shown and taught us about decernment and how it isn’t something we put on a shelf or is isolated to specific areas of our lives, I turn to the reality that we need it everywhere and all the time. I consider how the books that I read through COVID taught me the importance of turning to God and praying for wisdom and discernment all the time! So as we close out this time in this devotional, let’s make sure to grab hold of the importance and the power that comes through walking our lives with the Holy Spirit and ensuring we get discernment from Him prior to making decisions and even before we say something that we may later regret.

Let’s check out what wisdom we can receive today through the Everyday Discernment devotional by Tim Ferrara!

Life demands we make critical choices, but how can you do so effectively? Your ability to discern can make all the difference in what your future looks like. As you read, you will discover how to measure what you are taught against the truth of God’s Word, how to develop a life-giving connection with God, and the path to finding clear direction from the Holy Spirit.

Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-led Decision Making | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible

Scripture from Today’s Devotional:

God’s Word is so amazing and will meet us right where we are at. God’s Word knows what we are going through and what we are facing and so chooses to give us wisdom to be able to know what to do and the discernment to know how to get it done.

Let’s be the dads who choose to lead with love! Let’s be the dads who choose to forgive rather than allow bitterness and anger to tear us down and get us off track from God’s plans and purpose for our lives! Let’s be the dads who don’t allow anger nor malice to take root in our hearts toward others! Let’s be the dads who don’t speak contemptuously and insultingly to others! Let’s be the dads who choose our words well because we discern and know that words have power and through the Holy Spirit will discern the right words to be spoken at the moment! Let’s be the dads who speak the truth in love! Let’s be the dads who think before we speak, remembering that what we will say must be truthful, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind! Let’s be the dads who don’t let things fester but instead take care of them as quickly as possible so that we don’t allow a bitter root to take hold in our hearts or an opening that the devil can use to try and manipulate us off track! Let’s be the dads who destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God! Let’s be the dads who capture our rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ! Let’s be the dads who no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks to God! Let’s be the dads who choose to live our lives in a way that will be for the honor and glory of God and bring honor and glory to God!

Today’s devotional has been provided to us by Helping you make better decisions that honor God (discerning-dad.com)

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information, please visit: https://discerning-dad.com

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Discernment in Social Media“

• Do you use any social media sites, apps, or tools?
• When you do or don’t do you use discernment to make sure that what you post honors and glorifies God?
• Today’s devotional kicks off speaking to the time we live in:
  • “Christians are in a new age where utilizing discernment in their social media usage is an important skill to refine in their journey of growing and walking with the Lord. It is important to be aware of the dangers and guard against them.“
• Why do you use social media sites, apps, or tools?
  • Is it to keep in touch with folks who are far away?
  • Is it to monitor what others are up to?
  • Is it to keep track of what’s going on?
  • Is it so you can try to better keep up with others?
  • Is it so you can compare yourself to others?
  • Is it for good or for evil?
  • Is it for God’s honor and glory?
  • Is it so you can chime in with your thoughts and opinions?
  • Is it to bring a loving and caring voice to the conversation?
  • Is it to stir up the pot?
  • Why do you use it? them?
• Today’s devotional speaks to these questions when it shares:
  • “If you compare yourself to anyone else, you will always find things that he or she has that you do not. Social media statuses and posts are simply smoke and mirrors. You see the best of people every day; you don’t see the husband and wife arguing, the kids screaming, and the pets destroying the furniture. You see people with make-up on, in fancy clothes, in exotic places, living their “best lives” now. Rarely do you see the hurt, the fears, the depression, the anger, and the sadness that the same people hide behind their pictures. You may know nothing of the pain and struggle someone went through to get to where she is today, what she had to do in business to afford what she has, how she damaged her body to look like she does. Everything has a cost associated with it. Everyone is on a journey; his or her starting and finishing points are usually not obvious to others.“
• Consider why you are using social media and compare it to God’s commandments to see if your why aligns with His what.
• Today’s gives us an example when it points to the commandment of not coveting when it shares:
  • “One of the Ten Commandments is to not covet (Ex. 20:17). The Hebrew word for covet is hamad, meaning “strongly desiring another’s possessions.” Desiring anything that you do not have, especially to the point of obsession, creates discontentment, anger, jealousy, and rage, which are usually taken out on those around you. Coveting is frequently the starting point that leads to other sins.“
• Let’s be the dads who consider how Jesus calls us to raise the bar!
• Let’s be the dads who consider the old testament laws or commandments to be the bar and how God is calling us to raise the bar, the cause the average to go up not down!
• Today’s devotional speaks to how Jesus changed the standards when it says:
  • “Jesus changed the standard for murder and adultery with His sermon on the mount when he instructed that even thinking these thoughts is identical to acting them out (Matt. 5:21-30). Our mind is a battleground; we need to have discernment on how to keep our minds in check with the Holy Spirit.“
• Let’s be the dads who turn to God before we write, post, or speak!
• Let’s be the dads who take every thought captive before we allow it to go unfiltered into our hearts and minds and then from the overflow of our hearts right back out of our mouths or onto some social media site!
• Today’s devotional speaks of what Paul says to us about this:
  • “Paul encouraged the Corinthian Church to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5b). If social media causes you to sin by negatively influencing your thought life, practice allowing the Holy Spirit to help control your thoughts and speak Scripture in that moment to remind you of God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life. We are called to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18).“
• Today’s devotional closes with the following thought and challenge for us:
  • “We do have a guideline in the Bible as Christians with our actions. “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We should not seek glory for ourselves. We do not need to be “right” simply for the sake of being right and winning an argument. People are not saved through a social media argument; you cannot win someone over with facts but with love.“
  • “What are some positive ways that social media can be used? How should Christians act on social media?“
• “For more information on Discerning Dad including how to order my book, Everyday Discernment: The Importance of Spirit-led Decision Making, please visit my website at https://discerning-dad.com/ “