TO DISCERN

 FIGURING

1Corinthians [ESV] 12:1-10 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

… there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to [KJV “discerning”] distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

  One of my Dad’s favorite axioms was “Figures never lie, but liars use figures.” He would explain the lesson wasn’t just about how liars would manipulate statistics, but that the underlying principle has broader application.

  I continuing to read about drug doping among some athletes, I learned about many doing their best to stay ahead of the illicit game. What with scads of gold to be had both on and off the playing fields, a very difficult exercise it is.

  A difficult exercise complicated because like street drugs the formulas are constantly being altered.

  Now there’s something a leap beyond pharmaceutical doping, gene-doping. There already is synthetics used for medical purposes that affects the hormone that increases production of red blood cells, in turn increasing stamina.

  Gene-doping, when perfected, will be a whole another ballgame as discrediting “Hey man, I was born this way, it’s in my genes.” will be a very difficult workout.

  Some are gifted with keen discernment in recognizing finagling figurers. Most of us are not. We in this latter group must depend on others; first of all God; and for additional points, those gifted referees we are privileged to know.

  Know God. Know His people. Stay safe.  EBB4