The standard for discerning Christians to aspire toward.
Discernment is one of the most important and least practiced spiritual disciplines in contemporary Christianity. The Greek word for discernment in the New Testament — diakrisis — means the ability to distinguish, judge, and evaluate accurately. Hebrews 5:14 describes mature believers as those "who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." This training takes deliberate effort — discernment is a developed capacity, not a passive gift. Applied to media and entertainment, Christian discernment is the practiced ability to engage with culture — including its best and worst offerings — with clear spiritual vision: seeing what a piece of content is actually teaching, what values it promotes, what effect extended consumption would have on the heart, and whether it ultimately serves or hinders your walk with Christ.
Effective media discernment asks four questions consistently. First, what is this content about on the surface — what story does it tell, what does it claim to be? Second, what is this content about underneath — what worldview does it assume, what does it teach about human nature, meaning, evil, and hope? Third, what effect does consuming this content have on me — does it produce in me what Galatians 5:22-23 calls the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), or does it produce the works of the flesh? Fourth, am I consuming this content in a way that honors God — intentionally and selectively, or passively and addictively?
Christians fall into two opposite errors regarding discernment. The first is cultural separatism — treating all secular entertainment as spiritually contaminated and retreating into an exclusively Christian-produced media bubble. This error fails to engage culture as God's image-bearers called to be salt and light, misses the genuine truth and beauty in secular art, and produces Christians who are unable to meaningfully engage their neighbors. The second error is undiscerning consumption — absorbing whatever culture produces with no spiritual filter, treating entertainment as a purely recreational activity with no spiritual consequence. Romans 12:2 warns directly against this: "do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Passive entertainment consumption is one of the primary mechanisms by which worldly values enter and reshape the Christian mind.
Practical steps for developing discernment: Read Scripture consistently — you cannot discern error if you don't know truth. Practice identifying worldview claims in the entertainment you already consume. Discuss media with other Christians who will be honest rather than just validating your choices. Use tools like the Godly Score as a starting point for evaluation. Pray specifically for discernment — James 1:5 promises that God gives wisdom generously to those who ask.
GodlyScore evaluates media and public figures across nine biblical signal categories: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:26-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed. Score: see full guide.
See our Biblical Discernment Guide for the complete methodology. GotQuestions and the Gospel Coalition provide thorough evangelical analysis.