Discernment

Description:

The gift of Discernment is the divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error. It is able to discern the spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right and wrong.

Distinctives:

People with this gift...

  • Distinguish truth from error, tight from wrong, pure motives from impure
  • Identify deception in others with accuracy and appropriateness
  • Determine whether a word attributed to God is authentic message or interpretation
  • Recognize inconsistencies in a teaching, prophetic message or interpretation
  • Are able to sense the presence of evil

Traits:

  • Perceptive
  • Insightful
  • Sensitive
  • Intuitive
  • Decisive
  • Challenging
  • Truthful

Cautions:

People with this gift...

  • May struggle with how to express their perceptions, feelings or insights
  • Could be harsh when confronting others, instead of speaking the truth in love
  • Need to confirm their perceptions before speaking

References:

Definition taken from Network: Participants Manual, p. 77.