FIND PEACE WITH YOUR DECISION

There are times that I have exhausted my reasoning on how to arrive in a decision.  I have put out all the cards of options on the table and rate them according to how we want it to be basing on our needs and a bit of our whims.  I may arrive with a decision out of our scrutiny and yet our confidence is not enough to say “this is it.”  Our own knowing falls short to give our thumbs up.  Opinions of others are sought and may give bearing but it may be yet not sufficient.  Is this good?  Am I being paranoid?  I believe that I am just being God Fearing that I consider that the last say would be the One above as I pray.  May he guide me to the right decision.  He completes the process.  Sometimes I may not receive an answer in the light that I should make a decision right away.  That’s an instance when I would get into relying on my own reasoning to choose yet praying that He would bless my last say.  I believe sometimes He want us to be just in the character to stand up to where we put our feet forward to.

I hope it is as easy as asking God where to go and He will answer right away.  But it’s not always the case.  How do we hear God’s voice?  I know that He is interested on every aspect of my life.  And He wants to be personal with me.  Why is it so hard to get to know what He wants for me?  The answers to prayers are usually acquired from signs or from using other people or from situations or from clues that need deciphering.  There are times that we get from a strong sense as we pray.  Why can’t I just know the answer from God straightforward?  I wish God would just speak in audible voice.  God, where do you want me to go?  It’s not easy.  It is more like receiving a subtle leadings and promptings from God.

The world is a mean world sometimes that gives so many distractions.  God is a Good God – I know that and he always makes ways to reach out.  But His voice is competing with so many voices poking our attentions.  The world is shared with the good and the bad.  It is a good thing He is still reaching out in whatever means possible in the midst of noises all around.  But how do we distinguish which is which?

There is one guy who is a master in the discernment of the spirits and his name is St Ignatius of Loyola.  His teachings are based on his own experiences on the movement of God in his soul.  There were temptations along the way and in the long run he was able to acquire the skill to recognise the movement of God within him.

Discernment must be learned.  That’s for sure.  There’s no school that teaches us that.  But I wish there was one. Maybe St Ignatius has thought in his time.  Who knows?  But what I know is that acquiring the skill comes with building up maturity.  That is a tall order big time.  And the tallest order of all is that you must desire to do God’s Will.  Clarity of discernment comes with having God’s Will as your fundamental choice of life.

However not all the time you need to choose according to discernment.  Sometimes or most of the time you don’t have to be overspiritual about choices specially when matters are obvious.  We have given gifts of reasoning as well.  They are not there for nothing.  You don’t need to ask spiritual guidance if you need to bring umbrella when it’s obviously raining outside.  Having said that, there should be a balance of all the intelligence in your being according to Stephen Covey.  Spiritual intelligence has to be in the picture among the rest of the intelligence.  No matter how it has been revealed and no matter how your reasoning gets you to a certain direction, get the supreme being involved.  And that is where discernment comes in the picture.  Most of the time I believe that revelation, reasoning and discernment won’t clash.  Yet, when your reasoning and revelation are not enough to arrive in a decision, pray for discernment.

Fr Thomas Green said that discernment is derived from the experience of consolation and desolation.  To put it simply, with consolation, there is peace; and with desolation, there is no peace.  During discernment, if you find out there is no consolation, you must wait and pray more.  And so it is very important that the desire of your heart is according to God’s Will in order to find peace.  Choosing according to your selfish reason can be disturbed by other spirits.  It is palpable that someone who is not following God’s Will is not at peace and he won’t arrive at a consolation.

The explanation may have gotten too complicated.  But the simple wisdom is that no matter what, let The Supreme Being be involved.  Pray.  Find peace in Him.