great-commission-ministries.org

7. DISCERNING OF SPIRITS:

is the God-given awareness of what ever spirits, good or bad, are motivating or empowering in any given situation or person.  The discerning of spirits could be also understood to mean the kind or quality or motivation behind a person's human spirit.  Please understand: the discerning of spirits, is NOT, I repeat, is NOT the same as the gift of suspicion.  Here is a poem that helps one to know the difference:

SUSPICION

John Roy Bohlen

  In the Body of Christ, there is a special "gift",

          It is known as: "The Gift of Suspicion"!

It is one of the gifts of the Evil spirit.

          Fueled by hate and ugly superstition.

 
It was this trait, Jesus faced in the crowd,

          This "talent" led to His crucifixion.

This thing stops Love's flow in the Bride of Christ,

          This powerful "Gift" - Suspicion.

 
Some folks think this gift is to be admired,

          To be carefully sought and greatly desired.

They think God is mightily moving through them,

          Think it's right to suspect, point out fault and condemn.

 
Perception, Awareness, Revelation, Knowing,

          Inspiration, Discernment, Wisdom, God showing,

These are of God, but suspicion is of satan.

          Even God, faced with this, experiences frustration.

 
Would you like it if do others be suspicious of you?

          Criticize your best intentions, and distrust your motivations?

Love thinks the best of every person,

          Accepts the best of the loveliest version,

But suspicion rejects before love has e're begun,

          Was impossible for acceptance for even God's Son.

 
What do you do if they're suspicious of you?

          Let Jesus be your Life, all life through!

Overcome evil with good, each minute, every hour.

          Love them in return, praise God with might and power!

This is an area where most mistakes are made in the Body of Christ.  There are those who believe themselves to be really spiritually perceptive, but who, in their immaturity "judge unrighteous judgement". 

TEACHING BY NEGATIVE EXAMPLE

  You can be more wise if you have had the privilege of being victimized by others who have done this to you, because, sometimes, the best way the Lord has of teaching us is by negative example.  Sometimes the Lord will allow or take us through an unpleasant situation in order to insure that we do not treat others the way we ourselves have been treated.

 
"GOD TOLD ME ...!"

  An old apostle gave some valuable advice almost 40 years ago.  He said that it is better to not say, "God told me this!", or "God told me that!" Etc., but to instead say, "I believe that God told me this, or that."  But not, "I think God told me this."  "God told me" is too strong, is a claim to infallibility, and forces your revelation upon people, whereas, "I think", is too week.  No one can argue with you, if you say, "I believe - --"

  But, many people, in their immaturity, want to prove or demonstrate or show off their ‘spirituality', perhaps, because they are suffering from feelings of inferiority, or inadequacy, and are trying to compensate, so as to prove to others that they really are spiritual and mature.  But, one who is truly mature, does not feel the compulsive need to prove their spiritual maturity.  Therefore, we believe that it is best to say, "I believe that the Lord showed me - - - "