At the height of what became known as “The Cola Wars,” a friend asked me about my preferences. “Do you drink Pepsi or Coke?” This was a time when marketers from PepsiCo were setting up tables in malls, shopping centers, and other public places encouraging passersby to take what was known as “The Pepsi Challenge.” Participants would sit down at the table in front of two identical unmarked white cups, one containing Pepsi and the other Coke. They would sip from each and then choose the one they preferred. The rep would then reveal the two cans so that the taste-tester could know which flavor they preferred. Of course, the goal was for the tester to choose Pepsi over Coke, which didn’t always happen.

In my case, I never had the ability to tell which was which, as I had never developed the kind of discriminating taste buds that could tell the difference between the two. My capacity for “cola discernment” was so low, that it was non-existent. . . and still is to this day!

In the larger scheme of things, cola discernment really doesn’t matter. But developing skills in spiritual discernment does matter. In fact, for the follower of Jesus Christ, pursuing, practicing, and developing skills in discernment is a non-negotiable calling that marks the obedient disciple of Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul reminded them that they were to pursue maturity in Christ, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to develop the skill of knowing, understanding, and applying the truths of God’s Word to all of life, so that we might distinguish truth from error, wisdom from foolishness, and right from wrong. And, as we develop discernment, we must also guide our impressionable young children and teens into doing the same, teaching them a skill which is desperately needed in a world where the winds of culture are furiously blowing our kids around in ways that so easily lead to shipwreck.

The Psalmist prays these words: “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments” (Psalm 119:66). He was asking God for discernment. The theologian Sinclair Ferguson says that discernment benefits our kids in four specific ways.

First, discernment protects and guards them from being deceived spiritually. This is especially important in a world where it’s not so much the obvious lies that are the most dangerous threats to our kids, but the half-truths that serve as Trojan Horses which sneak so many dangerous lies into their lives. Charles Spurgeon has famously said, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

Second, discernment exercised between persons in a spirit of grace and love can move a brother or sister from error to truth. As we develop our skills of biblical discernment we can express our deep love for others, including our kids, by telling them the truths. . . sometimes hard truths. . . that will protect them from harm and provide for their well-being.

Third, developing biblical discernment will keep our kids from becoming enslaved to an unbiblical pattern of life. In other words, discernment leads to decision-making that will keep them off the wide road that leads to destruction, and on the narrow road that leads to life.

Finally, exercising discernment leads to spiritual growth. Proverbs 14:6 tells us that “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.” The more you practice discernment, the more discerning you become!

Parents, look for and use the teachable moments everyday life brings to practice biblical discernment with your kids. When our kids are young, we think for them, telling them the difference between the right and the wrong in every situation. When they become teenagers, we need to respect their developing cognitive abilities by thinking with them, so that we are preparing them for a lifetime of thinking with biblical discernment for themselves.

One simple way to think with them is to put current events, marketing messages, media, music, and social media under the discerning microscope of God’s Word by asking and discussing three questions:

1. What is happening here?
2. According to God’s Word, what should be happening here?
3. What would God have us do to make that happen?

During this month that begins with “April Fool’s Day,” let’s commit to cultivating wisdom and discernment in our kids. Pray with and for your kids this prayer from Psalm 119:125 – “I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your statutes.”