Discerning God's Plan for You

What is Discernment?


Discernment is a process by means of which I seek to recognise what God is asking of me, either in a particular situation, or in choosing the direction of my life. It is related to obedience; obedience to the plan of God. The will of God is not seen as something I have to put up with, but something which is essentially good and for my good. It is never a choice between good and evil, because in that there is no choice for a person of faith. It is a decision between two possibilities, both of which are good.

Indifference


Indifference is a technical term. It doesn't mean I don't care two hoots. It means that I leave my own agenda to one side; I desire only the will of God, whatever it is.

Discernment is about interpreting God's word in events and situations; reading the signs of the times. It involves a felt-knowledge; i.e., it has to do with the emotions, and not just with the intellect.

On the surface we are often aware of conflicting feelings, and we feel pulled in different directions. Discernment is about getting beneath the surface, to become aware of our deepest heart wishes. God doesn't play games with us. If I am genuinely open to what God wants, then my deepest heart wishes will be in keeping with his plan.

Six steps in every discernment


Although they may not always seem to be clearly defined in practice, there are six steps in the process of discernment.
  1. Praying for indifference. Even when we are committed to doing what God wants, we can still have an experience of struggling with our own counter-preferences. This is why the discernment must always take place in a context of prayer. (Only move on when you feel that you have arrived at a reasonable level of indifference, or inner freedom).

  2. Make a decision in the imagination of the heart, in favour of the particular option (e.g., priesthood). Live as if this were your final decision, keeping a journal. Note both the positive feelings, and the negative feelings that arise consistently, over a period of time. As St. Paul tells us:

    what the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control, (Galatians,5:22).

    So if I am genuinely open to the guidance of the Spirit, and if this particular option gives rise to feelings of joy, peace, etc., this can be taken as an indication that this option is in keeping with God's plan for me.

  3. Make a similar decision in the heart, this time against the particular option (e.g., priesthood). Once again, live each day's routine as if this were your final decision, and note once again the positive and negative feelings which arise. It is always worth working through step no.3, even if step no.2 already points to a clear conclusion, because this simply adds to the confidence that the discernment has been well made.

  4. Prayer for light; to recognise what has emerged. Which imagined decison led to the most positive / least negative responses in yourself?

  5. Knowledge is not of itself a decision. The next stage is prayer for the grace to actually choose, taking account only of what God wills.

  6. Seek confirmation. Often this confirmation comes over time, in the decisions made by others, and in the way things actually work out.

Three On-Going Components of Discernment


As I have mentioned, discernment is a process; it is on-going. Throughout the process, there are three elements which must be present:
  1. Prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom.

  2. Gathering factual information about the various choices being considered, because the discernment doesn't take place in a vacuum.

  3. A continuing effort to seek confirmation from outside myself.

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