Discernment: Three Considerations

Today's first reading, Acts 5: 34-42, reveals the power of God at work in everyday life. In the  Acts of the Apostles,  Gamaliel, “a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,” challenged the members of the Sanhedrin, before whom the Apostles appeared as prisoners.  “…have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourself fighting against God.”  

Reflecting on this passage, three things surface in considering discernment: 1) If what you are pursuing in your life is of God, it will endure.  If what you are considering is of  divine origin, the invitation to actualize the consideration will persist.  If the activity in which you are involved is God’s will for you, you will succeed in it, even when you meet obstacles or others oppose you  and the work you are doing. 2) If the origin of that to which you are opposed is of divine origin—be that something in your own life  or the life of another--you could be fighting against God when you walk away or ignore the invitation. 3) God will raise others up at the right time to confront those who are putting obstacles in your path, as He did for the Apostles before the Sanhedrin.  God has your back!

Discernment:Is What I Am Considering of Divine or Human Origin

Discernment: In Acts 5:34-42, we read about the apostles being arrested by the Pharisees.  Gamaliel, "a teacher of the law, respected by all the people," reminded his fellow Pharisees that if the activity of the apostles was of human origin, it would not prevail over time.  On the other hand, if it originated from God, "you will not be able to destroy them; but you may even find yourselves fighting against God."

This advice may serve us well in discerning God's will in our daily lives and in discerning a vocation in life, be it marriage, the single life, religious life, priesthood or the diaconate.  If the intuition concerning a state in life or any other decision is of God, it will persist. A person will not be able to do away with it. God's will will prevail.  If, on the other hand, what one is considering is of human origin, it will disappear. It will not happen.  That does not mean that a person does not have to discern.  Pros and cons still need to be examined. Choices still need to be made. A person still needs to discover the origin of one's desires--are they coming from the Holy Spirit or from a spirit contrary to God's will, to the truth within the depth of one's being,  See previous blogs for ways to discern good or bad spirits, or, in the language of Acts 5: 34-2, their source:  human origins or divine origin.