Discernment

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? - Psalms 121:1

Without the Holy Spirit in my life, I am a bafoon...a fool, an idiot, one who pretends to know something but does not.  I know I am in good company too.  What about all those fisherman that followed Jesus?  Without Jesus pointing the way to the fish, these guys would have starved to death!  One time, they fished for an entire day without catching a single fish.  Along comes Jesus.  "Hey guys, try that spot over there", He says to his so-called expert fishermen.  You know the story, his buddies had to get help to make sure they could keep their nets from breaking.

Discernment is like fishing.  It is all about asking the right questions in order to get profound answers.  Each question is like casting your line into the lake.  In order to get the fish to bite, your bait (the question you ask) must attract the fish.  Jesus knows where you are supposed to fish and what you need to get the job done.  He has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit to make sure you are a great fisherman.

Most of my life, I stumbled.  I even stumbled upon the one question that changed my entire life.  God had been waiting for me for so long to finally ask Him something that would transform me into the real person He created me to be.  I asked the Holy Spirit to show me who I am in God's eyes (see "My Biggest Bible Lesson", September 6th, 2009).  I had the right "bait" on my hook, and the Holy Spirit bit...hook, line and sinker.  I wasn't sure about eating this fish but something inside of me told me it would give me new life.

Discernment is a gift from the Holy Spirit.  It allows you to look in the mirror and see what God sees.  It allows you to recognize the evil forces in the world that sometimes possess others.  You too can become a fisher of men by learning how to ask a question that attracts these lost fish.  You can become strong enough to reel them in even when the evil spirits fight you with everything they've got.  You learn to be patient so that all of God's fish can be caught.  Most of all, you learn to give all the credit for your fishing skills to the Holy Spirit, because without him, you really are no more than a bafoon.  Discernment is a free gift of the Holy Spirit...just ask and you shall receive.