Discernment: The Heart of the Matter
When we hear talk about discernment, mostly we connect it to making a decision about something significant in life — a job, a move, a calling, a life partner, a change. And while these big events do call for wisdom to move forward, discernment asks that we look beneath, look deeper into the heart of the matter beyond the big questions and determine the movement of the Spirit or the Divine initiative and invitation in it all.
If discernment was simply about making the best-informed decision, then a list of pros and cons, and maybe confirmation from a wise friend would be enough. But spiritual discernment asks something more.
“Getting answers to my questions is not the goal of the spiritual life. Living in the presence of God is the greater call. The gift of discernment is the ability to hear and see from God’s perspective…As we come to know, more and more, that we belong to God and are a part of the life of God, we also come to know the heart of God. Some of our frantic questions—What must I do? How can I get what I need?—fade away when we come closer to God’s heart…Distinctions that seemed so very important to us dissolve when we look at them from our vantage point in God.”
~Henri Nouwen, “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life”
So, when I’m discerning if I accept a job offer that moves me to a new city, I’m not asking God what’s the right thing to do here. My discernment is seeking to understand my desire to know God in a new way in this venture. It’s asking if I am making a choice to draw closer to God in the midst of this or am I simply seeking my own advancement for a temporary pleasure. So, is it wrong then to take a job that advances a career or provides greater income and responsibility? Absolutely not. And it may be exactly where God is leading to expand our lives, or to minister to one individual in need of our skill sets. That’s why there is no set check list for discerning what’s right or what’s wrong.
In fact, sometimes the discernment of Divine invitation is seen not in the potential for success, or joy, or delight or expansion of the soul, but sometimes it is a call to move into “the shadow of the cross.” If I move only where I feel skilled, gifted, and equipped, then I may be eliminating the possibility of living where I must rely on God alone, where I come empty of self, but trusting the fullness of faith and grace to see me through.
What I do know is that the invitations of God often have a sense of being compelled by the Divine in some way. It may be experienced in an undiminishing desire toward something that cannot be denied. And with time, the longing may even increase until there is nothing to do but respond to it in some way. And the “something” that is opening up to us is not really the heart of the matter, but it is a vehicle for us and for others to know the love of God more deeply rooted in our lives.
For Spiritual Direction Conversation:
Where are you discerning Divine invitations in your life these days? What are the ways you are discerning that invitation?
How have you responded to that invitation? Is this a time to “wait on God,” a time to move forward in the shadow of the cross, or a time to name your gift and give expression to it in some way?
Are the obstacles holding you back from moving more fully into the invitations of the Spirit?
Read more about discernment related to calling: Three Words about Finding Purpose — Marsha Crockett
