At multiple points in our lives, we all must face important decisions: what job to get, where to live, whether to get married, and more. For Christians, these decisions carry even more weight, for among our own desires, we must consider God’s will for our lives. Knowing how to properly discern the will of God is essential for the Christian life, for if we cannot differentiate what is from God and what is not, we are lost. 

The process of discernment is often difficult, and requires a lot of faith in God. Abraham, who is called our father in faith, is an excellent role model to us of answering the call of God with faith. God told Abraham to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1 RSVCE). This is no small request, yet the Bible tells us that he obeyed God, and took his wife, his nephew Lot, and his entire household on a journey without even knowing his final destination. The Bible doesn’t show it, but one can imagine the kind of anxieties and doubts he must have felt. However, he trusted God, and God granted him amazing blessings.

Just like Abraham, each one of us has been created for a specific purpose, known as our vocation. This vocation comes in three parts: first is union with God in Heaven, second is married or religious life, and third is our occupation. We have been given specific gifts to fulfill our vocations well, but knowing when, where, and how to use them is not always obvious. This is where discernment comes in. 

The first step in discerning vocation should always be prayer. The Catechism states that “By prayer, we can discern what is the will of God, and obtain the endurance to do it” (CCC 2826). Talk to God about the issue and ask for His guidance! The next step, especially for more important decisions, is to find a spiritual director; someone who is wiser, more experienced, and able to call you further in the spiritual life and help you interpret God’s call. Although talking to someone might sound intimidating, a good spiritual director has been in your place before and will have important advice for how to move forward in your discernment.

Another important step in the discernment process is to pay attention to our desires. This does not mean what we want in the present moment, but rather the deeper desires of our hearts. One of the ways God speaks to us is through these desires, and He has given them to us as a guide in order to lead us closer to Him. Our task is to examine our hearts in order to know which desires are from Him, and which are not.

There are many different methods of this examination, and many examples given to us by the saints; one of the most common methods is the rules of St Ignatius. The basic principle of the Ignatian rules is that there are four different spiritual entities capable of influencing us: God and the good angels call us to pursue goodness and truth, and the fallen angels and our own fallen nature call us to reject God and follow our own path. For the sake of simplicity, these opposing sides are referred to as the good and the evil spirit. They each influence our desires according to the life we lead. If we are accustomed to following the evil spirit into sin, then sin will attract us more strongly, while the good spirit will prick at our consciences in order to make us turn away from sin. If, however, we are accustomed to following the good spirit, and truly seeking the will of God in all things, then God will encourage and strengthen us, while the evil spirit will attempt to deter us and place obstacles in our path. 

St Ignatius names two different states of the soul: consolation, accompanied by good feelings and a strong desire for God, and desolation, when we feel far from God. In a period of desolation, it is not good to make new decisions, because they are often influenced by our feelings rather than objective truth. Instead, hold fast to prayer and wait to be in a state of peace before deciding. The choices we make should ultimately bring us peace, because “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 RSVCE). This doesn’t mean there won’t be surface-level anxieties sometimes, but it does mean that even in the midst of those troubles you won’t regret your choice. 

Like Abraham, we are being called out of our own world and into the land which God has revealed to us: His kingdom in Heaven! Discerning the path God wants us to take can be frightening sometimes, but we must trust that so long as we are truly set on following God’s will, He will bring us where we need to be.

To read more about the Ignatian rules for discernment, please see this website. I am praying for you all, and I hope you have an excellent week!