Facing Life Challenges in Discernment

Sometimes facing life challenges means making an important decision in your life.  That's where discernment comes in. Discernment has been described in many ways but my favorite is , “knowing and resting In the spirit.”  It is a gift not a skill

On a personal note, I think of the time I made the wrong decision in a job change despite what my psyche or God was telling me. I was struggling day and night about the decision, which should have been a sign to me in itself. I did the pros and cons and still I went with the job that my whole being told me not to go. It was an Ego move. A last-ditch effort to avoid having hard conversations where I was at.

 I lasted less than a year in that job and then went from one bad job to the next.  Finally God called me to a large church to help an ailing priest with administration. It was there with humility that I got grounded in my faith and profession.

I am reading the book, “Kaleidoscope: Broadening the Palette in the Art of Spiritual Direction.” The author offers some guidelines for discernment:

                Create interior space through silence and solitude.

                Pray for indifference.

                Pray for wisdom.

                Practice daily the discipline of Examen, where we focus on God’s presence in our daily lives.

                Be informed.  Gather all necessary data pertinent to the subject at hand.

                Contact experts in the subject field.

                Engage in pros and cons dialogue on the subject. And I would add, listen to your gut.

                Ask yourself to discern questions, including:  Are you leaning toward going forward consistent with what experience of God has been?  Does the decision going forward fit with the overall calling of your life? What is Spirit saying to you?

I hope you find this helpful or at least an interest in learning more.  And may your discernment come easily especially when facing life challenges.