Discernment Tool

11 Steps for Making a Decision Following the Ignatian Method

1. Identify the decision to be made or the issue to be resolved.

The issue should be practical—about doing or not doing something.

It has to be real; that is, there really is a decision to be made—a question about whether you should or should not do something.

It must be an issue about which you have the right to make the decision.

You must have or be able to obtain the necessary information to decide intelligently.

If you have difficulty identifying the issue, follow this five-step procedure:

1. List the various issues you might be deciding about in the next few weeks or months, or in the next year’s time.

2. List the actions you might take about these issues.

3. Make a list of pros and cons for each issue or possible action.

4. Rank the issues and possible actions in the order of preference as you currently experience them.

5. Use the issue or possible action ranked first as the focus of your discernment.

2. Formulate the issue in a proposal.

State it as a positive, concrete choice.

Make it as specific as possible (What you will do, where, and when).

State it in the way that God initially seems to be drawing you.

State it in the form of X vs. non-X or X vs. Y.

Example of an X vs. non-X proposal: “I will take enough courses next term so that I can graduate this coming May.”­

 Example of an X vs. Y proposal: “I will stay in my current job with company A or I will accept a job offer from company B.”

3. Pray for openness to God’s will, and for freedom from prejudgment and addictions.

Ask for that inner freedom and balance that allows you not to be inclined more toward one alternative or option than to the other. This means to ask to be free enough to be influenced only by this one value: which alternative will give most glory to God and be expressive of my own deepest self, my authentic self?

To arrive at this absolutely necessary inner freedom, you may wish to discuss the matter with a spiritually mature person who can help you. In particular, discuss what obstacles could be limiting your freedom by blocking you or inclining you to one alternative over the other.

Possible obstacles: projections, disordered attachments like inferiority complexes, superiority complexes, or glorified self-images; “shoulds” or “oughts” that tyrannize you; perfectionism, fears, materialistic greed, and possessiveness; past hurts and self-pity; competitiveness that leads to envy; impatience with yourself or others; lust, ingratitude, and irreverence; desire for control, power, status, prestige, exclusiveness, and so forth.

As preparation for your prayer, read over slowly, carefully, and attentively the following Scripture passages:

Luke 17:5-6     Luke 12:22-32     Matthew 13:44-46     Matthew 14:22-33     Luke 18:35-43     Mark 10:17-22

Matthew 5:13-16     Luke 14:33 2 Timothy 1:7                  Matthew 7:24-25             Luke 16:13              Philippians 3:7-10

                                                                 Luke 11:5-13                  Matthew 20:26-28

Note the passages that strike you most strongly. Make these passages the source from which you talk with God about the particular areas where you need freedom. Where do you need greater detachment about the alternatives or options in your proposal? Bring them to God in prayer. Ask above all for a deep love: love for God, for the people being affected by the decision, and for your own true self or authentic self. Pray that no self-centered attraction or aversion about a choice will sidetrack you from what the Holy Spirit is pointing you to. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all this.

4. Gather all the necessary information.

Find out all the relevant specifics relating to the decision: Who? What? Where? When? How much? Why? Be satisfactorily informed.

Be sure to consult with everyone who will be intimately affected by the decision being made: spouse, children, other family, friends, colleagues. Get their input about it, including their feelings and desires.

Discuss this matter with someone sensitive to Christian spiritual values. This could be a friend, counselor, priest, or minister—someone who will be honest and objective with you. Discuss the matter in detail—its values and possibilities, your strengths and weaknesses.

5. Repeat the third step: Pray for openness to God’s will.

Pray about the matter again in light of the data you have gathered and the counsel of others. Most likely new feelings and desires have been stirred up that need to be shared with God so that they might be purified of any prejudgment or disordered attachment. This is a “freedom check.” Are you free enough to be influenced only by this one value: which alternative will give most glory to God and be expressive of your own deepest self, your authentic self?

6. State all the reasons for and all the reasons against each alternative in the proposal.

For a proposal of the X vs. non-X form, make two lists: “Advantages for me” and “Disadvantages for me.” For a proposal of the X vs. Y form, make a table with four lists: “Advantages for Me” and “Disadvantages for me” for each alternative. {See the table below}