Chapter 4 How to Discern What God Is Doing

The Discernment Process Genuine discernment about a major ministry decision requires more than a moment of clarity. It requires a process — sustained, honest, and accountable — in which you examine your motivations, seek God's direction, and invite trusted voices to speak into the decision. Begin with extended prayer and fasting — not as a magic formula but as a way of positioning yourself to hear clearly. The noise of crisis makes discernment nearly impossible. You need quiet, and you may need a significant block of time away from the daily demands of ministry to find it. Examine your motivations honestly. Are you hearing from God, or are you exhausted? Are you sensing a genuine release from this assignment, or are you suffering and looking for a theological justification to stop? Both can produce a sense of divine leading — but only one of them is. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." — Proverbs 3:5-6 The Confirming Community Genuine discernment about staying or leaving should involve people other than yourself. A trusted mentor or supervisor. A spiritual director. Your spouse. Two or three pastoral peers who know you and your situation well. This community is not the one that tells you what you want to hear. It is the one that tells you what is true — even when that is more complex and less immediately comfortable than the simple answer you are hoping for. If everyone close to you is confirming the same thing, take that seriously. If the voices are divided, stay in the process longer. Premature certainty in either direction is usually a sign that you are not yet done discerning. Discernment is not a feeling. It is a process. Take the time it requires. The decision you are considering is too important to make in haste.