Trusting God in Discernment
When it comes to making good decisions the Catholic tradition and its Saints have a lot to offer. The first piece of Good News is you are never alone in making decisions.
By Wendy Grace
Fork in the Road
One of the benefits of our Faith is knowing that we are not alone. God is with us through all of life's decisions; knowing and trusting in God's plan for us can make even the most difficult of decisions easier to make.
Perhaps you are trying to make a good decision, but it's hard to distinguish what is your will and what is God's will? How do you know you have made the right decision? It can be difficult sometimes to trade our dreams for God's, often finding ourselves caught in a tug of war.
God gave us a conscience for a reason; it’s that little inner voice reminding us of the plan God has placed in our hearts. Sometimes it can be a very loud voice, others a little niggle pushing us to always be aware of the impacts of our actions. One of the key considerations when making good choices is what your conscience is telling you and what impact your choice will have on yourself or others. And crucially, whether the choice brings you closer to God.
We have been given the gift of wisdom from the Holy Spirit so use it! This wisdom of course can come through others.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola is probably one of the best saints we can turn to. He warned against making decisions when emotions are high, or when you're angry or stressed - making impulsive decisions can often have negative consequences. He also warned against making decisions in periods of Spiritual desolation.
He advised creating a list and listening to your feelings and God's will when considering the pros and cons, and crucially he challenges us to dig deep into our own desires and the feelings behind them. For example, are your feelings of anxiety or fear rooted in a worldly desire for greed or being concerned about what other people may think? You have to detach yourself from the outcome of a particular choice. Pray not to have disordered attachments like a glorified image of yourself, or worldly ideals; seek to understand what is truly motivating you.
He talks about reflection using your imagination - what advice would you give to a friend in the same situation? Or imagine you are dying and looking back at your life - how would you make or change the decision? And if you were having a conversation with God, how would you explain your decision?
Discernment is what makes your decision-making as a Catholic different because it is honouring what God’s will might be in our lives. Give yourself the time, space, and silence to make a decision. Writing a pro and con list is always a good practice and in that tell God what you want and what you fear. Discernment isn’t a binary thing. After you make your decisions pray and consider the fruits of the decision and remember, discernment is ongoing, and no decision is set in stone; you can keep discerning if you are on the right path.
You need to try to make a positive, concrete choice. Be specific as to who, what, and where you will make it come about.
You will know you have made the right decision when there is peace in your heart. Restlessness is usually a sign of a bad decision! Pray for consolation if the right decision has been made. Remember the right decision won't always be the easier one.
Ask yourself what the best, most holy version of you would do right now. What would the version of me that is closest to God do right now?
You have to do the practical and the spiritual, gather the information, find someone who can give you good advice in an objective way and then pray to seek your Father's will, praying for an open heart and asking for the choice that will help give Glory to God and enable you to be the best you can be, which is exactly what God wants for you and your life.