--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God never gives us discernment in order…" description: "\"“God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticise, but that we may intercede.”\" — Oswald Chambers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png" --- # God never gives us discernment in order that we may… ![“God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticise, but that we may intercede.” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png) > ““God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticise, but that we may intercede.”” [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests discernment is given not for criticism but for intercession, urging compassionate action over judgment. **In simple terms:** Discernment should lead to helping, not judging. Key Takeaway Use insight to support others. Themes spirituality compassion leadership Mood reflective inspirational Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - counseling - community service - conflict resolution Key Concepts Theology ethical action Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance discernment with humility? - When is it appropriate to intervene? A Different Perspective Intercessory actions may be limited by personal capacity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticise Intercede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticise-intercede-3487545/) [Discernment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discernment/) [Discernment Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discernment-order-2680908/) [Gives Discernment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gives-discernment-2009421/) [God Gives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-gives/) ## Related quotes > [God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order-that-we-may-criticize-but/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When we discern that people are not going on spiritually and allow the discernment to turn to criticism, we block our way to God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-we-discern-that-people-are-not-going-on-spiritually-and-allow/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-you-yourself-do-not-cut-the-lines-that-tie-you-to-the-dock-god/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [To be 'in the will of God' is not a matter of intellectual discernment, but a state of heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/to-be-in-the-will-of-god-is-not-a-matter-of-intellectual-discernment/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [One of the most subtle burdens God ever puts on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning other souls. He reveals things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/one-of-the-most-subtle-burdens-god-ever-puts-on-us-as-saints-is-this/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [in the will of God" is not a matter of intellectual discernment, but a state of heart... It's motto is --" My Father can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/in-the-will-of-god-is-not-a-matter-of-intellectual-discernment-but-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-vision-that-god-gives-is-not-some-unattainable-castle-in-the-sky/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [God never gives strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-strength-for-tomorrow-or-for-the-next-hour-but-only/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-gives-us-the-vision-then-he-takes-us-down-to-the-valley-to-batter-2/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-gives-us-the-vision-then-he-takes-us-down-to-the-valley-to-batter/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-god-gives-us-a-vision-we-must-transact-business-with-him-at-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“As we draw on the grace of God He increases voluntary poverty all along the line. Always give the best you have got every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/as-we-draw-on-the-grace-of-god-he-increases-voluntary-poverty-all/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You must teach yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows. The measure of temperance should be such that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/you-must-teach-yourself-how-to-eat-less-but-with-discernment-insofar/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [“Age doesn't mean Maturity but Senescence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/age-doesn-t-mean-maturity-but-senescence/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [“Discernment is first of all a habit, a way of seeing that eventually permeates our whole life. It is the journey from spiritual blindness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-haley-barton/discernment-is-first-of-all-a-habit-a-way-of-seeing-that-eventually/) [Ruth Haley Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-haley-barton/) ## More by Oswald Chambers > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/realize-that-the-lord-is-here-now-and-the-freedom-you-receive-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/sorrow-burns-up-a-great-amount-of-shallowness/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-in-danger-of-forgetting-that-we-cannot-do-what-god-does-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-a-solemn-thing-and-no-small-scandal-in-the-kingdom-to-see-god-s/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-my-holiness-is-not-drawing-towards-him-it-is-not-holiness-of-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/my-spiritual-history-must-have-as-its-underlying-foundation-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-lasting-value-of-our-public-service-for-god-is-measured-by-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-thing-that-awakens-the-deepest-fountain-of-gratitude-in-a-human/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The secret of the missionary is...I am His, and He is carrying out His work through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-secret-of-the-missionary-is-i-am-his-and-he-is-carrying-out-his/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) [Explore all 922 Oswald Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More Discernment quotes > [“Discernment is first of all a habit, a way of seeing that eventually permeates our whole life. It is the journey from spiritual blindness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-haley-barton/discernment-is-first-of-all-a-habit-a-way-of-seeing-that-eventually/) [Ruth Haley Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-haley-barton/) > [“Age doesn't mean Maturity but Senescence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/age-doesn-t-mean-maturity-but-senescence/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [You must teach yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows. The measure of temperance should be such that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/you-must-teach-yourself-how-to-eat-less-but-with-discernment-insofar/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) > [“I choose Legacy over Lucre”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/i-choose-legacy-over-lucre/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [“Discernment could be likened to distinguishing a light in the distance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-bevere/discernment-could-be-likened-to-distinguishing-a-light-in-the-distance/) [Lisa Bevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-bevere/) > [“The word of wisdom is missing,” he continued. “We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not ability to predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/the-word-of-wisdom-is-missing-he-continued-we-need-the-gift-of/) [a.w. tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Yet you must not cling to the words of the old sages either; they, too, may not be right. Even if you believe them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/yet-you-must-not-cling-to-the-words-of-the-old-sages-either-they-too/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [It is an unquestionable truth, that the body of the people in every country desire sincerely its prosperity. But it is equally unquestionable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-an-unquestionable-truth-that-the-body-of-the-people-in-every/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [“And, to be true, an enemy's lair is an enemy's lair, no matter how comfortable or fancy it might appear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-carroll/and-to-be-true-an-enemy-s-lair-is-an-enemy-s-lair-no-matter-how/) [Steven J. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-carroll/) > [Children have almost an intuitive discernment between the maxims you bring forward for their use, and those by which you direct your own conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/children-have-almost-an-intuitive-discernment-between-the-maxims-you/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [“Jealousy destroys the Moral competence to be Successful”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/jealousy-destroys-the-moral-competence-to-be-successful/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [I began to firmly change my mind when I saw how young Egyptians used Facebook, for example, to begin to coalesce their social justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micheline-aharonian-marcom/i-began-to-firmly-change-my-mind-when-i-saw-how-young-egyptians-used/) [Micheline Aharonian Marcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micheline-aharonian-marcom/) > [To make a covenant with the Lord to always keep His commandments is a serious obligation, and to renew that covenant by partaking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-w-hunter/to-make-a-covenant-with-the-lord-to-always-keep-his-commandments-is-a/) [Howard W. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-w-hunter/) > [“Life is worth living when God throws His Divine dice in your favor. HE has slow-stirred my life with Wisdom and discernment about all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-bond/life-is-worth-living-when-god-throws-his-divine-dice-in-your-favor-he/) [Tracey Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-bond/) > [“Never in the history of the world have we had easier access to more information - some of it true, some of it false,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/never-in-the-history-of-the-world-have-we-had-easier-access-to-more/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) [Browse all 326 Discernment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discernment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticise, but that we may intercede.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oswald Chambers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order-that-we-may-criticise-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discernment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order-that-we-may-criticise-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/oswald-chambers-205_discernment_god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order_385264.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticise, but that we may intercede.” — Oswald Chambers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oswald Chambers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“God never gives us discernment in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order-that-we-may-criticise-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-never-gives-us-discernment-in-order-that-we-may-criticise-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```