“Humility is found in realizing that we can do nothing on our own.  We are totally dependent on God.  He is the Creator, and we are His creatures.  None of us is more or less valuable than another… We are all precious; we each possess a beautiful soul, and all of us are loved by God, individually and passionately.” Discover Your Next Mission from God

Searching for where God leads us or desires us is man’s purpose.  Growing up, I’m not sure I realized that this search begins with humility.  As someone who was goal-driven and focused on achievements, understanding purpose through the lens of humility was challenging for me. Perhaps this difficulty stemmed from my perception of humility and pride. The type of humility integral to man’s purpose is not about seeing oneself as incapable or unworthy; it is quite the opposite.This humility is defined as one in which God directs and one sees himself as a capable servant of God’s desire in his life.

Over the years, as my faith has deepened, I’ve learned that giving a proper discernment requires a 2-way conversation with God.  It requires me to ask.  What does He desire in my life at this moment in time when I am faced with a decision?  Where is He calling me to lead or to serve?  And then wait for Him to reply.

Have you had a 2-way conversation with God and asked Him what He desires in your life?  Where is He calling you to lead or to serve?

Often, we hear that God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  The Bible provides many examples of individuals He called in big ways who were not qualified based on human standards.  Moses is a notable example.  Moses conversed with God, expressing his perceived inadequacies for the tasks God was asking him.  In response, God provided everything Moses needed to accomplish his mission. To properly define the kind of humility God is asking of us in our discernment, we can refer to 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  There may be situations in our lives we feel utterly unqualified, yet God is nudging us to say yes. Is God calling us in humility to say no because we don’t feel we are qualified or is God calling us in humility to say yes, because He wants us to be dependent on Him, as His “power is made perfect in [our] weakness”? 

God desires us to be his capable servant.

There have been many times, in my life, where pride was the source of my discernment.  It was perhaps a self-satisfaction of accomplishment.  And in some of these moments, a few doors slammed shut, squashing my pride.  Today, I look at these opportunities and realize God was looking out for me.  These opportunities would not have shaped me positively or worked out given circumstances that only God could have known that would occur.

Many saints are great examples of discernment with humility. They demonstrate what dependency on God looks like through their discernment. The greatest of those is Mary as she said yes to God’s desire for her to be the Mother of our Savior, the Tabernacle that would hold Jesus for 9 months. 

If you are faced with discerning direction or a path in your life, consider approaching your decision with a servant’s heart of humility.  One that aligns with what God desires of you.  When our choices align with God’s desire, we serve with joy.  Life exuberates from us even if we feel unqualified.  The source of that life is Him who has created us for purpose out of a greater love beyond our ability to imagine.

Categories: Faith, Identity in Christ

Tags: #Catholic, #Christian, #god, Jesus