My inside screams at me lately. There are so many people out there who are proclaiming what is right and what is wrong. They are so busy telling anyone who will read or listen to them that the way others believe needs adjustment or these people are just plain wrong.

My suggestion is this:

Matthew 7:3-5 – And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

I have no time to point out others’ shortcomings when I am trying to get past my own. There is too much time to devote to developing a solid relationship with God. If I’m wrong about anything, I ask God to show me where I need to adjust. I know I’m not perfect (or I should say “fully mature”). I’m still growing in Him. For the most part, I consider my morning conversations with God to be aimed at that very endeavor.

I’ve developed enough maturity to be more careful about keeping my relationship with God secure. I keep my “knower” in check to not go beyond using it to condemn another member of the Body of Christ. My “knower” is what comes from my knowledge of the Word of God and ability to hear the Holy Spirit quickening me to be aware of truth or error.

A Greek word best describes what I’m saying. Noetic derives from the Greek adjective noētikos, meaning “intellectual,” from the verb noein (“to think”) and ultimately from the noun nous, meaning “mind.” Noetic is related to noesis, a rare noun that turns up in the field of philosophy and refers to the action of perceiving or thinking.

I consider this a step toward discernment. In general, discernment is accurately evaluating ourselves, people, and situations. We discern things correctly by clearly perceiving what is true, right, and essential. “To examine, prove, or test; scrutinize.” I don’t consider it judgment. In discernment, we weigh the knowledge of a thing, but we do not condemn it. It is a device of our makeup to protect us or to allow us to open up to what we encounter.

With that said, I don’t want to bring about condemnation of another soul who likely has a calling in their life. I just need to know whether they are using that calling correctly.

Psalm 105:14-15 – He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

If anyone has a problem with a called man or woman of God, it is best to go directly to them and speak with them. I’m pointing towards a protocol for handling an errant minister of God. If it isn’t done right, we find ourselves no better than the one we deem to call out.

The protocol for addressing an errant member of the ministry typically involves several steps, starting with private, one-on-one conversations to address the issue directly. If the member remains unrepentant, the process may escalate to involving other church leaders and could ultimately lead to formal church discipline, including removal from membership.

With that said, we have no right to get on a soapbox and shout out the perceived wrongdoings of another. You will put yourself in jeopardy of discipline in the spiritual realm. I’m not willing to go so far as to have this type of encounter. That discipline comes directly from God.