Relocating to another city is difficult and to another state can be even more challenging. We did just that in January 2004. Gaylon was a pastor in Florida but accepted a call to be a chaplain in the Birmingham, Alabama area. I loved living in the state of Florida, so moving was hard for me.
We bought a home in the small community of Helena which is about twenty miles from Birmingham. Prior moves while serving in ministry were easier because my husband was always a pastor. This meant there were a lot of people with open arms waiting for our arrival. People were ready to invite me to lunch, show me around town, and tell me about the best places to shop. Upon arriving in Helena, there was NONE of that. My husband was a chaplain now, which meant finding our own church home, learning our own way around, finding our own friends.
One day as I went out exploring, I saw a store that caught my eye. The name of the store was “The Spirit Store.” (Not the one pictured here.) I was about to pass by the store but quickly made a left-hand turn into the parking lot of The Spirit Store. I was so happy to find a Christian bookstore to peruse. I excitedly walked into the store with great anticipation! I could hardly wait to see the latest offering of books, music, and art to hang on the walls of my new home.
As I walked into the store, I quickly knew that this spirit was not the same Spirit that dwelt in me! There were many bottles of bourbon, whiskey, rum, wines, and a host of alcoholic beverages of which I had no knowledge. I exited the store very quickly because I discerned the spirit being offered there, was not the Spirit for which I was looking.
The Bible says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1
Today, we are in a time when truth is challenged, rewritten, and often watered down. There are all kinds of voices that try to speak into our ears. John said that we are to test the spirits to see if they line up with the Spirit of God. How often this principle is neglected! Someone comes along sounding pious, knowledgeable, and rhetorically gifted, and we do not check to see if what they are offering is from the right spirit store.
As believers, we are not to be overly critical, but nor are we to be totally gullible. John spoke to the church about this in a letter because they were embracing all kinds of teachings that did not line up with the true Gospel. In this passage, John tells us not to believe every spirit because some spirits are liars.
A discerning spirit is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the believer. It can keep us from error and poor decisions. It will keep us from unhealthy relationships. Having a discerning spirit will stop us from being aligned with demonic spirits. (Yes, they still exist today.) As God’s people, we must have a discerning spirit in this critical time in which we live.
The Scottish pastor, Eric Alexander said, “The only way I know to cultivate a spirit of discernment and true wisdom in being able to tell the difference between truth and error…is a concentrated commitment to the study of Scripture.” He is right. A solid foundation in scripture and prayer, accompanied by walking daily with the Spirit will give us discernment.
Don’t be lazy.Test the spirits. Be careful what spirit store you frequent.