Why is discernment important as a Christian?

I discovered this young woman while scrolling through TikTok, who had written and sang a very beautiful worship song. It was a very Christian-sounding worship song, like something I would hear on a Christian radio station, but then I saw another video where that artist admitted they actually follow a totally different religion altogether. She claimed she made the song for people of all religions to worship to. And while I’m not saying that this person was trying to be deceptive, it just made me hyper-aware of how so many people say they worship God, but they may be simply talking about their own version of god.

I’ve seen so many people use God to refer to the universe, the Earth, some other obscure force, a god of another religion, or sometimes even demons. I know many celebrities will even give acceptance speeches at award shows, thanking God, only for them to actually be deep in witchcraft or referencing a totally different god. And I’m not saying that Christians are the only ones who have dibs on the name God because the word “god” is used in other contexts all the time, but I’m more so talking about people who don’t want to be upfront about who or what they really worship. Even in the Christian church, witches integrate themselves into Christian spaces all the time.

There’s a lot of mixture in our culture today. So many young people are starting to get into spirituality, ancestor worship, new age beliefs, and alternative religions, but they’re not being forthcoming about exactly what they’re into or they may even be confused about what they believe. 

There’s a real hunger for a higher power to believe in amongst the youth, something bigger than themselves to put their hope and faith in. But the church has unfortunately done a lot of damage to its reputation, especially in Western nations like the United States. People don’t trust the church because of past traumas, many stemming from childhood, or even perceived unfair judgment when it comes to certain political issues. Often, not wanting anything to do with the church results in one of two outcomes: either the total abandonment of Christianity or practicing in isolation, which is a breeding ground for lukewarmness. 

The latter usually sounds something like, “I’m still a Christian, and I still have my own relationship with God, but I want nothing to do with the church.” Sometimes, they don’t even want fellowship with other Christians. I fully understand the church hurt, but isolation is not the answer. Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”.

There are times when God will call his people to isolate to get to know him better and spend time with him. But this is meant to be a temporary season ordained by God. As a result, it should deepen your faith and connection with him. However, when you isolate indefinitely, especially out of resentment toward the church or other believers, you set yourself up to fall for tricks from the enemy. The Bible also says it’s not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18) because when people are alone, they either find trouble or trouble finds them.

All it takes is for you to come across someone or something that seems enticing and fits your view of what’s good, but not God’s. It could be a person introducing you to tarot or crystals. It could be meeting a potential romantic partner whose belief system is wildly different. It could even be as simple as coming across a video online that makes you question your faith. 

As a Christian, you’ll likely encounter all three of these scenarios at some point, but it’ll be much harder to resist them when you lack a community of like-minded believers to reinforce your focus on God. When we’re isolated against our will (even if it’s our own doing), what we crave more than anything is community. And if you’re not careful, you will search for that sense of belonging in the wrong places.

It’s important for us as Christians, above all else to be discerning. Both within the church and outside of it. As Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”