Qualities/Attitudes of a Discerner

Courage: A Third Attitude of Discernment

 

In two previous blogs, I mentioned openness and generosity as essential attitudes of discernment. Also needed is courage.  To discern what God is asking you, not just in discerning your state in life, requires courageous action.  An example of  carrying out God will that takes courage might be the decision to say no to a date because of pressures to act in ways against your faith.  God might ask things of you that involve giving up control and trustingly putting the decision in God’s hands.  Mary models that trust at the wedding feast of Cana when she alerted Jesus to the fact that they had no wine and He responded: “Woman, what do you want of me? My hour has not get come” (Lk 2:4).  Waiting upon God can be very difficult and demands a lot of spiritual strength, especially if you are a person who wants closure, as I am.  I usually want to make quick decisions when it would be far better to wait, at least, until tomorrow . Jesus waited upon the Father, as He knew His hour had not yet come, not even at the moment that His Mother asked Him to save the wedding party from the embarrassment of having run out of wine.  He waiting 30 years before entering into his public life, a move He did not make until willed by the Father. To wait for that confirmation of knowing that our wills harmonize with God’s, or to let go of something we have bend our hearts upon when it is clear that that is not God’s will for us but may be for our best friend, is no easy task. Discerning God’s will and following it truly does demand courage and is not for the faint-hearted. Let us pray for the courage of Mary and of Jesus.