The snake spotter doesn't seem like much of a help most of the time. He seems more of a hinderance, really. Just when good progress is being made, with the compass guy pointing the way, and the machete guy cutting the path, the annoying snake spotter just has to yell "SNAKE!" :o Often it takes a bit of time before the others will even believe that he indeed does see a snake. They suspect that he's imagining things, or trying to exalt the importance of his position in the group. And sometimes they never see the snake... they just stop long enough for it to go away, or they begrudgingly go around the point that the snake spotter has alerted on... but there are worse times, unfortunately. The snake spotter isn't always heeded.
It's an inglorious thing, being a snake spotter. But it's a needed thing.
In the body of Christ, we are gifted differently. I've turned out to be a snake spotter, with a reasonably good track record that I can only thank God for; it's not from me. I'm not a machete guy (too lazy for that), and I'm not a compass guy (I have no good ideas of where we go next)... I'm just a boring, annoying snake spotter. :(
1 John 4:1 says "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Yes, we are to "try the spirits" to see where they are from. To see whether a particular idea might be bad or good, it's helpful to see what entities are in agreement with that idea. Bad bed fellows are a clue that the spirit and therefore the idea is probably not from God. If an evil leader is pressing for the completion of a certain plan, that plan may not be from God.
When the gifts of the Spirit are being delineated in 1 Corinthians 12, we see the following:
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
So the gift of discernment is one of the spiritual gifts. I know that I cannot work miracles... and I'm not much of a prophet... I've not had much luck at healing people... but God has given me the gift of discernment--I'm confident of that fact.
Christ has harsh words for the one who is given a talent, and refuses to use it. We are all gifted in one or more ways, and the expectation of the Lord is that we use the gift or gifts that He has given us.
Romans 12 has this:
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Those who are at the front line of godly Christian movement, with their sleeves rolled up and hearts "all in" are the most inspiring of all believers in my opinion. These are the folks who love, and "always hope" as described in 1 Corinthians 13. All believers have much to learn from such ones as these.
But I'm the snake spotter. The curmudgeon. The pox on the body, as many would have it. Others with the same gift that God has given me probably feel the same way at times. Maybe I could do better. Maybe I could be more loving in the way I announce what I know to be true. Maybe that would help... But even if I must soften my declarations, it is still needful that I make them. I'm a snake spotter, after all. :)
Shall I be derelict in my duty to please a few? Shall I stand idly by and say nothing while a better Christian than I "hugs the cute little polar bear?" I think not. I must sound the alarm, as God has equipped me.
"So you're right and we're wrong, huh?"
"On this particular thing... yes, I am right."
"But look at this verse here, and that verse there" I'm told.
"I have. But have you seen this verse over here?"
"So how is it that you get to pick the verses you want to support your intolerant positions? Why are you right in this matter, and we're wrong?"
"Yeah... (dare I say it) ... Because I have the gift of discernment. That's why. It's not a fun gift, really. One spends more time in the belly of the beast studying the enemy than might seem prudent. But it must be done. Lots of small problems out there, like the Rob Bells and Tony Campolos and Pope Frankies puttering around, and lots of very big problems out there like our nation being handed over to our enemies. It's not pretty, and it's not fun (I promise you it isn't)... but it must be done."
"So you get to speak for God in this matter, and we don't? Is that it?"
"Just in this singular matter, yes, I have been gifted by Him to speak thusly."
"Bull. You've no grounds to make such a claim, and you'd better be careful saying such things, presuming to speak for God!"
"God speaks for Himself, through His word. We apply that Word correctly, understanding by the Spirit what is good, and what is not. I'm not speaking for God, I'm merely the discerning messenger in matters of spotting the enemy."
"And what of us? Do we not also have the spirit of discernment?"
Allow me to answer that final point in this way: If it has to do with a matter of church involvement in which I've not been gifted, I will always defer to those who have been gifted in that particular way. However... if it involves discernment of spirits, I'd be remiss in my duty as a servant of Christ to say nothing while well-intentioned but differently equipped believers play with snakes.
I'm used to watching out for the enemy. And dealing with the enemy, sounding the alarm, and shrugging off stinging dissent from within is really just all in a day's work.
And yes, I can handle this. I'm a snake spotter, you know. :)
Dan Newberry
