Torch, Summer 1995

I y three-year-old son and I play a game he calls "get it." We throw, hit, or kick a ball around the yard, and when it lands, he yells "Come on dad, try and get it!" We race after the object, his youthful exuberance competing against my lengthier strides . When my son reaches the ball first, he seizes it and protects it, willing to endure tickles and tumbles to retain his prize. And when we play with a basketball, we can both grab it at the same time. If he holds on just right, I can lift him high off the ground. My only problem with the game is that it can go on forever. Every capture brings another throw, every race only puts us at a new starting point. But is that any different from the other things in life I want my son to "get?" Does he "get" why mommy and daddy pray before meals? Does he "get" why we go to church? When it comes to our spiritual lives, does our child "get it?" Or will he spend the rest of his life pursuing other things, objects of desire that will only lead him in a never-ending chase for satisfaction? To what will he cling so tightly that no one can pull it away from him? Will it lift him up or drag him down? Scripture tells us, "Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (1Thessalonians5:21 -22) . The ability to tell good from evil is called discernment. The Bible teaches that discernment is both a gift from God and a skill which takes practice. Solomon asked the LORD for wisdom, saying "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9) The LORD granted his request. On the other hand, the writer of Hebrews admonished his readers to mature in the discipline of discernment, being willing to examine themselves and their world in light of God's truth. "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:13-14). Accordingly, we must ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), but also persevere through trials (verses 2- 4), looking intently into His Word (verse 25) in order to develop the discernment God has given us . Discernment is not an end in itself. Rather, it is the testing process which tells us what to grasp and what to put down. Discernment is not just being critical. You can spend a lifetime identifying everything that's bad and still not know much about what's good! That's what concerns me when I think about teaching my son right from wrong. "Put that down! Turn that off! Don't eat that! Don't do that!" So many words said with just a touch of anger. Where is the joy? "Here, take this! Watch this! Eat some of this! Let's play this!" So many things in life are good. And they all come from God! (James 1: 17) The word translated "good" in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 is kalos in the original Greek. Used over 100 times in the New Testament, it is a plain word used to describe amazing things. Jesus told a parable about seed which fell on good (kalos) ground, and brought forth fruit a hundred times greater! (Matthew 13:8) Christ told his disciples that the woman who poured precious ointment on His feet had done a good (kalos) work, and would be remembered forever (Matthew 26: 10). When Peter saw Christ transfigured into heavenly glory on the mount, the disciple said, "Lord, it is good (kalos) to be here.. ." (Matthew 17:4). What an understatement! In fact, this concept of testing to see what is good can be expanded to include approving that which is excellent. In Bible times, a merchant would test or prove a metal item to see if it was made of precious metal. The more valuable the item, the more important the test. As a young parent, I look to godly examples to help me know how to test all things in my home. While my wife and I are very thankful for our own Christian parents, we also think one of the wonderful things about being at Cedarville are the many tremendous role models of Christian wives, husbands, and parents. I talked to some recently to get their perspectives on teaching discernment. One of the things they said was to start early. Roy and Alberta Torch 11