Discernment
The charism of discernment is a gift bestowed to an individual to be an instrument of God’s wisdom. They are able to accurately perceive and determine a divine or demonic presence in certain people, places or things. The Holy Spirit allows those with the gift of discernment to easily discover the will of God. They are able to distinguish between truth and error to identify if something is of God. The gift of discernment involves wisdom and a deep intentional prayer life.
Often, the charism of discernment is confused with the charism of wisdom. Wisdom is a special gift given by the Holy Spirit to receive unusual insight of truths and knowledge to be applied to specific situations. The result is always in the benefit of others and to reflect the will of God. The gift of discernment is different from the gift of wisdom. The individual bestowed with discernment has the ability to immediately and intuitively sense the spiritual source. This can include discerning a behavior (divine or demonic), idea, or nature of person, place or thing.
All Christians must exercise a role of discernment in making life decisions. The charism of discernment is distinctly different from our role of discernment. Both involve much time in prayer and contemplation while confiding in the wise counsel of loving friends and trusted spiritual advisors. However, the charism of discernment is a supernatural gift given by the Holy Spirit that allows the bearer to “know something is of God” but may not be able to explain how they know.
Often, the charism of discernment is confused with the charism of wisdom. Wisdom is a special gift given by the Holy Spirit to receive unusual insight of truths and knowledge to be applied to specific situations. The result is always in the benefit of others and to reflect the will of God. The gift of discernment is different from the gift of wisdom. The individual bestowed with discernment has the ability to immediately and intuitively sense the spiritual source. This can include discerning a behavior (divine or demonic), idea, or nature of person, place or thing.
All Christians must exercise a role of discernment in making life decisions. The charism of discernment is distinctly different from our role of discernment. Both involve much time in prayer and contemplation while confiding in the wise counsel of loving friends and trusted spiritual advisors. However, the charism of discernment is a supernatural gift given by the Holy Spirit that allows the bearer to “know something is of God” but may not be able to explain how they know.