Ezekiel 44:23
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
God had rules for the priests to follow. The purpose of these rules was because the priests were servants in the temple. Their portion that God gave them in life was to care for the things of God. Therefore, these people needed to develop traits that helped them to fulfill the purpose that God had for them.
When you got saved, you became a priest for God. Your life is no longer yours; therefore, you are to do what God has planned for your life. However, you will never successfully fulfill God’s purpose for your life if you don't develop the traits that He commanded these priests to develop. Let me share these four traits you must develop if you want to please the LORD with your life.
The first trait you need to develop is the ability to teach. One of God’s commands is to teach all nations. If you are going to teach, you will need to learn what to teach. You cannot learn what to teach if you don't read God’s Word daily and sit under the preaching of God’s Word in every service. Your purpose in your Christian walk is not to sit in a pew and do nothing, but to take what you learned while sitting in the pew and teach it to someone else. One of the greatest achievements you can do for God is to teach others what others have taught you.
The second trait you need to develop is the ability to discern. If you don't develop this ability, you will find yourself making bad decisions regularly. Discernment is the ability to see where something will take you in the future. Many have never developed this trait, but this trait is necessary to keep you on the right path for God. Discernment is understanding that something may not be wrong today, but it will take you to the wrong place tomorrow. I make hundreds of decisions every week, but I often have to look beyond its present benefit to see its future impact for good or bad before making the decision. Developing discernment is critical to not making decisions that will impact the future for the worse.
The third trait you need to develop is the ability to make the tough decisions. The priest had to make judgments between people who had differences with each other. These decisions were not easy, but it was their job to make these decisions. Every decision in life will not be easy, but you must learn to make those tough decisions if you are going to stay in the will of God. God’s will doesn't always appease others, but you must choose to do right despite what others think about you. If every decision you make is based on what others will think about your decision, you will likely make many wrong decisions in life. The right decision is not always popular with man, but it will keep you right with God which is the most important relationship that you should be concerned with.
The fourth trait you need to develop is the ability to tell yourself “no.” The priests were commanded to keep God’s laws, which means there were times they had to tell themselves “no.” You can't always do what you want to do and be right with God at the same time. If you are going to be right with God, there will be times when you will have to tell yourself “no.”