Jane Hamon: Pitfalls of Discernment

Pitfalls of Discernment

Learning to Discern 

by Jane Hamon

In the beginning I made a lot of mistakes, not necessarily in what I was seeing or hearing but in keeping my heart right. It was easy to become judgmental and critical from what I was hearing God say. I had to learn to discern what came from my soul and what came from the Holy Spirit. I had to learn that sometimes my own opinions got involved and blocked me from seeing what was occurring in the spiritual realm or in the natural realm. Ephesians 1:17 speaks of having a spirit of revelation but also a spirit of wisdom. I had a lot to learn and great leaders around me to help me grow in grace and wisdom. 

At times, I felt overwhelmed by what I was seeing or overburdened by the responsibility of the revelations. What was I supposed to do with everything God was showing me? Many times I became frustrated and said or did the wrong thing. There were times when I simply wanted to ignore the gift or close my spiritual ears to the voice of God because I dreaded making a mistake on such important matters. 

Others with the gift of discerning of spirits express similar challenges. Some shut down the operation of this gift in their lives because they grow frustrated with seeing things in the Spirit when they have no idea of what to do with that information. The internal pressure of receiving a flood of revelation without any strategy for its use is overwhelming. Others shut it down because they made mistakes with some of the information information they received. Those bad experiences hurt people or led to misunderstandings with leaders in their churches. 

It is imperative for people with discernment revelation to pursue the balancing anointing of wisdom that Paul spoke about when he prayed for the church at Ephesus. This was written to a first-century church planted right in the heart of a city that was the center of the known world for goddess worship, magic and occult training. If anyone needed discernment it was these believers. 

He wrote: [I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; . . . according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

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I'm one that shut down.  I have a history of shutting down my gift.  Then I repent and start all over again.  As Jane said, it can become overwhelming.  

I have been very blessed to be reading about Sister Jane's struggles with this gift.  I know that as I press on into her teaching, I and stay humble before the Lord, I learn to grow more faithful to this gift.  I am amazed at the ignorance surrounding the gift of discernment.  It makes it hard on those who have the gift because those who don't have very accusing things to say to us.  Yes, they think we are judgemental and start out to correct us, but there is more to it.  Most that I have talked to also have a very nervous disposition based on fear of being an evil person because they feel they are being judgemental.  They fuss at themselves constantly.

I don't believe this gift is one that you just step out into one day and become an expert at it.  I believe it takes years... if one does not give up.  Don't give up.