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DISCERNMENT AND PERSEVERENCE
MONDAY, APRIL 10
Philippians 1:9-11

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

 

“That ye may approve

things that are excellent…”

 

DISCERNMENT AND PERSEVERENCE
 
To have a right understanding of truth and love is an important trait that we ought to pray for. But what makes it so vital to our Christian lives? In Philippians 1:9-10, Paul explained what would result when our love abounds in knowledge and in judgment.
 
First, we will be able to “approve things that are excellent” (Phil 1:10). To “approve” here does not mean to just agree or to sanction something, but it has the idea of testing something, putting it through a rigorous analysis to determine if something is right and good, or “excellent.” This is our daily Christian duty. We must endeavour to be discerning: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess 5:21-22). We face multiple decisions every single day, about a myriad of different things. How are we to discern each one? How do we know God’s will? We must have the right understanding and application of love and truth to achieve this.
 
Next is the ability to persevere “till the day of Christ” (Phil 1:10). In every endeavour and undertaking, we will not only be both pure and sincere, because of love, and will also be “without offence” (i.e. free from any known or obvious faults, not causing others to stumble), because of knowledge and judgment. This is necessary in enabling us to be consistent in our spiritual lives. We will not give up or succumb to temptation easily but will have the ability to be steadfast in our faith all the way till the day of Christ. This is something that we must earnestly pray for, as Paul did too: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:23).
 
How blessed it will be if all believers can have that wise discernment to seek only the things that are excellent in the sight of the Lord and can maintain that unblemished testimony all their life until the Lord returns!
 
THOUGHT: Can I persevere without discernment?
PRAYER: Father, may Thou sanctify my heart and grant me the wisdom to seek only that which is excellent and pleasing in Thy sight.

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