Learning to Recognize What Agrees with God’s Truth
Key Idea
Spiritual discernment means learning to recognize what agrees with God’s truth and what does not.
Key Scripture
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21
What Does It Mean to Discern?
Have you ever had to decide whether something was true or false?
Maybe another child told you something and you weren’t sure whether to believe it. Maybe you saw something in a movie, video, television program, book, or game and wondered whether it was good.
We make decisions about things we see and hear every day.
Sometimes deciding is easy. Other times it isn’t.
The Bible teaches us that we shouldn’t simply accept everything we hear or see. We should learn to discern.
To discern means to recognize the difference between things.
Spiritual discernment means learning to recognize what agrees with God’s truth and what does not.
How Can I Know What Is True?
Imagine that someone tells you:
“It doesn’t matter if you lie as long as nobody gets hurt.”
How could you determine whether that is true?
You could compare the statement with what the Bible says.
The Bible says:
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour.”
Ephesians 4:25
Now you have something to compare.
Someone said lying can sometimes be okay.
God’s Word tells us to put away lying and speak truth.
Which one should we believe?
God’s Word.
That’s discernment!
You heard an idea, compared it with God’s truth, and recognized that the idea did not agree with what God said.
Not Everything Wrong Looks Wrong
Sometimes recognizing wrong ideas is easy.
But sometimes something can look good, sound good, or be entertaining while including ideas that don’t agree with the Bible.
That is one reason Christians need discernment.
A character in a story might be called a hero. That doesn’t automatically mean everything the character does is right.
A song might sound beautiful. That doesn’t automatically mean its message is true.
A movie might be funny and exciting. That doesn’t mean everything it teaches is good.
A friend might sincerely believe something. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is true.
We don’t decide whether something is true simply because we like it. We compare it with God’s Word.
Become a Truth Detective
You can think of discernment a little like being a detective.
A good detective doesn’t immediately believe the first explanation.
The detective looks at the evidence.
When you encounter an idea, you can stop and ask:
1. What is this telling me?
Don’t just think about whether something is funny, exciting, popular, or interesting.
Think about its message.
2. Does this agree with the Bible?
Think about what God’s Word teaches.
If you don’t know, that’s okay. Ask a parent, Bible teacher, pastor, or another trusted Christian adult to help you find relevant Scripture.
3. Is this encouraging me toward what is good?
Consider what the idea encourages you to admire, believe, or do.
4. What should I believe?
God’s Word should be our standard for determining spiritual truth.
What If Everyone Else Likes It?
Sometimes your friends may enjoy something that your family chooses not to watch, read, play, or participate in.
That can feel difficult.
You don’t need to be mean to them.
You don’t have to make fun of them.
And you don’t have to think you are better than them.
Instead, you can remember that following God sometimes means making a different choice.
Something doesn’t become right simply because it is popular.
And something doesn’t become wrong simply because it is unpopular.
The important question is:
What does God say?
You Don’t Have to Figure Everything Out Alone
Learning discernment takes time.
Adults are still learning too!
If you see or hear something and aren’t sure what to think about it, talk to your parents or another trusted Christian adult.
You can say:
“I saw something today that confused me. Can we see what the Bible says about it?”
That’s not a sign that your discernment failed.
That’s part of learning discernment.
A Simple Discernment Test
When you encounter something you’re unsure about, remember these three words:
STOP
Don’t immediately accept an idea as true.
THINK
Ask yourself what the message is really saying.
COMPARE
Compare the idea with God’s Word.
Then ask:
Does this agree with God’s truth?
Try It
Suppose a character in a television program says:
“Getting revenge is the best way to handle someone who hurts you.”
Let’s practice.
STOP: Don’t simply accept the character’s statement.
THINK: What is the character teaching? The character is saying that hurting someone back is the right response when someone hurts us.
COMPARE: What does the Bible teach?
Romans 12:17 says:
“Recompense to no man evil for evil.”
The message doesn’t agree with God’s Word.
You just practiced spiritual discernment.
Remember
Spiritual discernment isn’t about becoming suspicious of everything around you.
It isn’t about being afraid.
And it isn’t about trying to find something wrong with everything you enjoy.
It is learning to recognize God’s truth so well that you can notice when something doesn’t agree with it.
The more you learn God’s Word, the better prepared you will be to recognize truth.
Today’s Truth
I don’t have to believe everything I hear or see. I can stop, think, and compare it with God’s Word.
Talk About It
- What does the word discernment mean?
- Why shouldn’t we believe something just because it is popular?
- What can you do when you’re not sure whether something agrees with the Bible?
- Who are some trusted adults you can talk to?
- Why is knowing God’s Word important for discernment?
- Can you think of something you’ve heard in a story, movie, game, or conversation that you could compare with Scripture?
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Word. Help me learn what is true and recognize things that do not agree with Your truth. Give me wisdom when I don’t know what to believe or what choice to make. Help me listen to You, ask for help when I need it, and choose what is good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Parent or Teacher Note
This first lesson deliberately doesn’t begin with demons, Satan, or frightening examples. It establishes the positive foundation first: God’s truth is our standard.
That gives us a natural progression into Lesson 2, “Is Spiritual Warfare Like Movies and Games?” By the time children encounter that subject, they already have their first tool: STOP → THINK → COMPARE.
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