On Discernment

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In the clamor of today’s world, fast-paced and saturated with noise, the art of discernment has become tragically lost. In fact, St. John Paul II said,

…the future of the world stands in peril unless wiser people are forthcoming. —Familiaris Consortio, n. 8

But wiser people will not be forthcoming unless we learn to hear and discern the voice of God…

Basic Rule of Discernment

St. Ignatius gave one particular rule that lies at the heart of discernment.

In time of desolation we should never make any change, but remain firm and constant in the resolution and decision which guided us the day before the desolation, or in the decision to which we adhered in the preceding consolation. For just as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us, so in desolation the evil spirit guides and counsels. Following his counsels we can never find the way to a right decision. —RULE 5 Spiritual Exercises, 318; cf. ignatianretreats.com

A similar rule I’ve lived by is, “If you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything.” Because sometimes it’s not a matter of experiencing desolation, but of simple uncertainty. In those times, it’s often best to do nothing until clarity comes.

Hearing God’s Voice

Jesus tells us that it’s a basic Christian privilege to hear His voice.

My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27)

Many people have said to me over the years: “Well, I’ve never heard God speak to me.” I’ll bet they have, but they simply didn’t realize it was Him.

Recall that classic Scripture of Elijah on Mount Horeb. He waited for God, “but the LORD was not in the wind… earthquake… [or] fire.” Rather, “there was a tiny whispering sound”, and in that, Elijah heard the Lord.^[1]cf. 1 Kgs 19:11-12

At the same time, God is not always a subtle voice but a blaring trumpet. Just a chapter before, God did speak through the fire that descended from Heaven, and consumed the burnt offering.^[2]1 Kgs 18:38 So let’s not put God in a box — insisting He only speaks this or that way. It’s a matter of learning to discern how and when He is speaking to one’s soul.

The vast majority of Christians will never audibly hear God’s voice. As John’s Gospel says, “God is Spirit”;^[3]John 4:24 outside of the incarnation and Christ’s physical presence on earth 2000 years ago, He speaks to us most frequently in spirit. That communication comes to us in a myriad of ways, but most concretely through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the Magisterium, and authentic prophecy (see The Voice). We can be certain that those voices of truth are an echo of Our Lord’s, who told the Apostles, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.”^[4]cf. Luke 10:16 Those truths communicate directly to both our mind and spirit.

But when it comes to the practical decisions in our daily lives, how do we know what is His voice as opposed to our own, or even the devil’s? Should I buy this car or that house? Should I go to college? Should I address an issue or is silence more prudent? The answer to what God has to say about such things lies in the evidence of a supernatural peace, or lack thereof. Jesus said we would hear His voice, and then later said:

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)

The voice of the Lord and His will, even when it is difficult, against the grain of your will, contains a supernatural peace that, yes, is sometimes as quiet as that whisper.

Now, sometimes Christians can overspiritualize discernment. “I’ll pray about it,” we say, when really, what needs to be done can be deduced by basic reasoning. You don’t need to pray about doing the right thing when it’s obvious you just need to do it — baptized procrastination is still procrastination. Other times, however, we do need to pray, listen, and wait for that peace that surpasses all understanding, even if the path appears reasonable.^[5]cf. Phil 4:7

A wise friend of mine said that there should be three ingredients before taking a major action: energy, clarity, and peace. If I feel a certain energy toward something; if I have clarity about it; and finally, I have peace, one can almost be certain that it’s the right path forward.

When Discernment Goes South

But let’s face it — sometimes we make the wrong discernment. Something seems right (for all the reasons we’ve considered), but in the end, it’s not. We could have been given bad advice; or perhaps we’re too impatient or compulsive; or we could be “in the flesh” rather than listening to the Spirit and are somewhat deceived, and so on. What then?

One windy night, Jesus walked towards the apostles on water. They were terrified. It was a moment of discernment, to be certain. “It is a ghost,” they said, as they cried out in fear. But…

At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him in reply, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.”

Now Peter, known for being overzealous at times, seemed to be in that mode once again. I’m pretty sure when Jesus told Him to “come,” that the Lord knew what would happen next.

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did Him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33)

All this is to say, whether it was right or wrong for Peter to attempt water-walking, whether it was hubris or humility, the Lord did not abandon Him for one second. A decision was made, for better or worse, and Jesus wanted Peter to trust in Him (especially since the Lord did indeed say “come”). And that’s the “now word” I want to convey to you today. Sometimes we can hyperanalyze a situation; we can get caught up in paralysis-analysis, fearful of making a decision… perhaps like the other eleven apostles in the boat. In those moments, we often lack faith, feeling that everything is up to us. Or, like Peter, we may be overzealous, compulsive, and get ahead of God, again, lacking faith that He can help us to discern what is best. After all, Jesus was coming to the boat; Peter could simply have waited.

Either way, whatever way, we need to trust that Jesus will never abandon us. We need to trust that whatever decisions we have made in good faith, that…

…all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

That means if you’ve made the wrong decision — even ones in a moment of weakness or of bad faith — surrender the situation completely into God’s hands. Repent where you need to repent. Now, you may feel overwhelmed by the wind and waves you’ve brought upon yourself; you may feel as though you are completely sinking — and by all human standards, you may very well be. But now is the moment to let God be God. What He asks of you is faith in Him, what we call holy abandonment to let Him work things to the good. When the time is right, the winds will die down, and having let the Lord come to your aid, having watched Him calm the storm, you too will find yourself saying: “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Therefore, I repeat the words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”