PRACTICING SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT: WHEN TO SAY YES & NO

Do you ever struggle with when to say yes and when to say no? I do, too! Learning how to practice spiritual discernment may help us choose when it is best to say yes and when we should choose to say no.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT?

In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically.

John MacArthur, What Is Biblical Discernment?

Not to be confused with the spiritual gift of discernment, the general concept of spiritual discernment is the responsibility of all of those who seek to follow God and walk in biblical truth.

…but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (NLT)

If we are serious about connecting FAITH + LIFE, we need to learn to practice spiritual discernment. And a big part of that is determining when to say yes and how to say no.

WHEN TO SAY YES AND NO

A few months ago I finished reading a really powerful book, THE BEST YES, by Lysa Terkeurst (I highly, highly recommend it!)

This book really challenged me to evaluate the things in my life I was saying yes to (and I learned that candy should definitely not be on my “yes” list!) as well as “the power of the small no.”  You have got to read this book!

Hmmmm…two little words.

Yes. 

No.

But very, very powerful.  Don’t you agree? And the foundation of spiritual discernment.

Read what Terkeurst says in THE BEST YES about our choices.

The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep.

The schedule you keep determines the life you live.

And how you live your life determines how you spend your soul.

HOW TO MAKE A YES AND NO LIST

So, after this book, spending some time in prayer, and reading my Bible, I decided that the best place to start would be to make a list of things I would say YES and NO to moving forward.

• I am going to say YES to what God wants me to do and NO to what others think I should do.
• I am going to say YES to taking risks and NO to doubting myself.
• I am going to say YES to being fully present and NO to regretting the past and worrying about the future.
• I am going to say YES to solitude and rest and NO to busyness and anxiety.
• I am going to say YES to taking action and NO to making excuses.
• I am going to say YES to freedom and NO to fear.
• I am going to say YES to people who want me in their life and NO to those who really don’t care to invest in a relationship.
• I am going to say YES to serving with intentionality and purpose and NO to serving just to feel good about myself.
• I am going to say YES to loving well and NO to taking family and true friends for granted.
• I am going to say YES to laughing and NO to complaining.
• And I am going to say YES to those vegetables and NO to that candy!  😉

I know I can and will add more to this list. And that is the ongoing process of practicing spiritual discernment.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SAYING YES AND NO

Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount:

Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Matthew 5:37 (NLT)

Sounds so simple and straightforward, doesn’t it?

Yet, knowing when to say yes and no requires much more than flippant answers. Jesus is calling us to be spiritually discerning and then to stay fully and confidently committed to our decisions.

Will you take some time to think about what you will say YES and NO to on your faith journey?

One last quote from THE BEST YES to encourage you:

“Every day we make choices. Then our choices make us.”

I would love, love, love to hear your responses below because I know you have a lot to teach me!

If you do not feel comfortable leaving a comment, send me an email.  Remember, we are in this together.  You can now keep me accountable for my YES’s and NO’s, and I would love to return the favor!

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