Discernment
Books
Teachings
DISCERNING GOD’S WILL
The Practice | Kellye Fabian
Decisions are made, but discernment is given.
Discernment is given by God. It’s a process of discriminating what is of God and what is not of God in our lives and surrendering to what God gives us. Discernment is often beyond logical pros and cons lists and looks more like listening to the quiet voice of God who may be calling us into the bold, unusual, or unclear path.
Our community then moved into practicing a practice that is an important part of the discernment process – and that is, a prayer for indifference to anything but the will of God. Indifference may seem like such a harsh word, but when you think of it, it’s really praying the prayer that Jesus prayed when he said, “Not my will Lord, but Yours be done.” It’s a bold and vulnerable prayer that holds our deepest desires before God and says, “Lord, this is what I want, I trust that you know my heart and my honest desires, but ultimately I want to desire your will above my own.”
Podcasts
DISCERNMENT
Acts 6:1-6
One way that Luke makes a connection between the Holy Spirit and the fledgling Christian community, is by looking at the process of human decision-making. The mission of the early Church is inspired and guided by God through the Holy Spirit. God moves ahead of the other people in the narrative, so it often seems difficult for the people to keep up with God’s initiatives. But Luke carefully describes a number of these decisions – the election of Matthias, the decision to continue preaching despite persecution, the choosing of seven men, including Stephen, as deacons, and the acceptance of Paul as an apostle by the community of Christians in Jerusalem. As you listen to the story of the calling of seven men as deacons, spend some time reflecting on the way that you discern the will of God in your own life – what can you learn from this account of discernment?
THE NEXT RIGHT THING PODCAST
Emily P. Freeman
What matters more than the decisions you make is the person you’re becoming.
For the second-guessers, the chronically hesitant, or anyone who suffers from decision fatigue, best-selling author and host Emily P. Freeman helps create a little space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing in love. Because out of the thousands of decisions you make every day, chances are a few of them threaten to keep you up at night. If you're in a season of transition, waiting, general fogginess, or if you've ever searched "how to make a decision" on the internet, listen in.
Additional Resources
THE NEXT RIGHT THING JOURNAL
Emily P. Freeman
When we have a decision to make, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction. If you have trouble making decisions because of either chronic hesitation or decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: do the next right thing.
After the release of The Next Right Thing book in 2019, this journal is a resource designed to help you personalize the decision-making practices from the book.
With seasonal and monthly pages of insightful questions, personal lists, and guided decision-making techniques, this journal will help you to:
clear the decision-making chaos
quiet your fear of choosing wrong
find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing
Whether you’re in the midst of a major life transition or are weary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, you need a little space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing in love.