Listen to today’s devo!

If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. (1 Cor. 14:27)

As a child, there were a few things about Christianity that confused me. For example, I once heard a lesson in Sunday school about the devil disguising himself. Thus, I once asked my best friend if she was actually the devil trying to fool me. She assured me she was not.

Sometimes, messages delivered within our faith, and interpreted by our limited minds, can be confusing without proper understanding. Doctrine requires careful thought and discernment. With faithfulness and a pure pursuit of truth, Christians can trust God’s guidance in interpreting these messages.

We must not take everything we hear or read, outside of contextually correct Scripture, at face value—even if it comes from trustworthy leaders. We must always run messages through the lens of Scripture, wise counsel, and God in prayer.

As 1 Corinthians 14:29 instructs, we should “weigh carefully what is said.” It’s a simple directive, but one easily bypassed by even the most well-intentioned Christian at times. Don’t miss it. With so many ideas accosting us in the age of social media, it’s more important than ever to prioritize discernment. If you are leading others in any way (and we all are), it matters that much more. The closer we are to God in relationship, the easier it will be to hear the Truth through the noise.

Pursue divine understanding for every message you encounter in God’s name.

Ericka Andersen Sylvester is a member of Waterline Church in Fishers (IN). She’s a wife and mom to two and enjoys writing, running, and podcasting.

© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.