Discernment

It is God who calls. God’s call begins deep within your life, giving you glimpses of who you are, seeking to catch your attention and break into your lived reality. The best thing to do is to begin to pray about this call you sense.

Discernment is the effort to determine, in the light of God’s will, what is the best decision for you now, in the concrete circumstances in which you find yourself. How can you best respond to God’s call? Which of the choices before you will bring you to the fullness of life?

Can you make these assumptions?

• I assume that God loves me and desires my love in return. God calls me to this love. God really cares about me.
• The Holy Spirit speaks to me in my life through Scripture, the Church, individuals, the community, and the concrete circumstances of my life. I can hear and respond.
• I live in the midst of many voices. I need to discern which of these are God’s will for me now.
• My discernment is not a choice between good and evil since evil is not God’s will for me. It is a choice between two or more actions, all of them good. Which one is right for me in the here and now?
• My opinion is not enough. I live in an attitude of listening to God; I am willing to change when change is called for.

Discernment is an attitude.

Discernment is an ongoing attitude of surrender to God’s will and openness to what God asks of you. It is much more a way of life than a matter of problem solving. You are invited to ALWAYS look for God’s will in your life.

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining us as an Incarnate Word Sister, contact us by completing the Vocation Inquiry form.