Today’s Tip comes out of 1 Corinthians 2:14,


“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”


Today’s tip is this:
Let the Holy Spirit help you discern.


We don’t have to build and exercise discernment on our own. We don’t have to do it alone. In fact, we can’t do it in our own power. We need the Spirit to help us.


If you find yourself struggling with discernment, let the Holy Spirit help you. Spend time with God and seek His discernment. He is the source. The Spirit will help us understand and discern.

Today’s tip comes from Hebrews 5:14 which says:

“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

So the tip for today is:

Grow your discernment by practicing discernment.

Yes, I know that on the surface that sounds like a very Yogi Berra style type of circular, obvious tip. Think about it for a moment though. You grow physical muscles by using the muscles to make them grow stronger. The same is true for discernment. We grow discernment by using it. Each time we practice discernment, our discernment grows stronger. So find ways to practice your discernment today: spend time digging into God’s Word, make a tough choice you’ve been hesitating on, have the difficult conversation you’ve been putting off, teach someone something you’ve been learning. Whatever you do, seek God and continue to grow in discernment.

Today’s tip comes from Philippians 1:9-10 which says:

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ”

As we read those verses, we see this:

Practicing discernment should be done through abounding love.

When we exercise discernment without love for God and others, we can create problems, hurt people, and damage our reflection of God in the lives of others. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second was to love others. As we discern, we should be operating out of that kind of love.

Today’s tip comes from Proverbs 3:21-24 which says:

“My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.”

As we read those verses, we see this:

Practicing discernment helps your soul rest.

Rest, especially deep rest for our souls is a valuable, and often missing, commodity in this day and age. Reading these verses we are encouraged that when we seek God, develop and use discernment, it helps us stay on the right path which ultimately allows us to live in a more restful and refreshing way. This does not mean we won’t still have difficulties and challenges, but it sets up to be equipped to better handle those challenges with God’s help.

Today’s Tip is this:

Take time for some self-reflection to help you stay on track.

When we don’t build time for self-reflection into our lives and just let the demands and pressures and pleasures of life dictate our schedules and priorities, we can easily lose sight of who God has created and called us to be. A lack of self-reflection can lead to us getting off track of not just where we want to be in life but also who we want to be.

Taking time to reflect is an important part of leading yourself, and leading yourself well helps you to lead others well. Resist the urge to think that you don’t have time for reflection and begin to see it as time well spent to better equip you and make ultimately make you more efficient in your other responsibilities.

Today’s Tip is this:

Take time to discern what you need to equip you for what God has called you to.

God equips us for what He has called us to, but if we’re not careful we can become so busy that we miss the tools that He is placing in front of us. To do what God has called you to is there something He’s whispering that you need? Do you need to take advantage of an opportunity for education or training? Do you need more rest than you’re currently allowing yourself? Do you need to take a close look at your priorities and shift some things? Do you need to spend more time with Him? Do you need to seek wise counsel?

It’s hard to answer those questions, if we never slow down enough to take time to reflect and ask God for His wisdom, discernment, and guidance. So, slow down today and take time to discern what you need for what God has called you to.