About a month ago I learned that my friend is leaving home to become a Priest. He will spend seven years in seminary learning, preparing, and earning the title of Priest. This is on top of a year of "Discernment" he just completed to ensure he was making the correct decision for himself.
At his send-off party, that word came up more often than any other, "discernment." Later in the evening, after the party had wound down and people were standing around talking, I looked over at my friend Brent and could tell something was troubling him. "Everything alright buddy?"
He shook his head and said, "I can't believe he's becoming a Priest. I mean, I am stoked for him, I just don't understand how you can decide something like that."
"Yeah, it's not for all of us. Pretty incredible that he is going for it!"
"For sure. It's not the Priest part that's astounding to me, it's that he can discern that decision at all. I can't even decide who to vote for in each election. I spend all of my time listening to people's opinions and reading different perspectives, and still feel no confidence in my decision. That is about most things in my life."
I sat with Brent's words for a minute and wondered how many other people in the world feel this way. They're confident they like chocolate over vanilla, but unsure about their own religious beliefs. They're positive that they're a Chiefs fan, but couldn't describe why they're a registered Democrat.
I wonder, in a world in which the opinions of others are so readily accessible via social media, have we lost our ability to discern and come to our own conclusions? While it is beneficial to be curious and take in the perspectives of others, without the ability to discern that information, we'll be swimming in a sea of uncertainty and decision stagnation.
Discernment is the ability to make wise decisions based on the acuteness of judgment and understanding. It requires both intuition and reason. It is the perfect marriage between your gut and your mind.
According to NBC Basketball, discernment can be broken down into three steps.
Awareness
What does your gut say? Your brain? Your mentors? The subject matter experts? Listening to each voice helps create clarity for our decisions, but also requires patience, silence, and effort.
Understanding
What are the benefits? What are the risks? What are the resounding implications? Asking deeper questions and challenging ourselves to find answers will provide a fuller picture of the outcome.
Action
Discernment is not meditation alone. It should lead to actionable steps and when those steps are taken, the decision-maker should rest knowing discernment led them there.
Not every choice in life is as easy as chocolate versus vanilla (we all know the correct choice here). By honing our skill of discernment we take back the power that social media and outside influences have stolen from us.
If you're facing a tough decision and the answer seems elusive, remember to gain awareness, create understanding, and take action.
Fact
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as of 2018, there were 4,856 seminarians in the United States.
Question
What is something that requires more discernment in your life? What is something that you have discerned and need to act on?
Action
Ask someone you admire what the biggest decision they've ever made was and how they went about discerning that decision.
Quote
"Through discernment, we recognize the good and find peace in the decisions we make, progressing ourselves to the future that awaits us." - Christina Schneider
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