Discerning Your Vocation Is Worth It
Discerning your vocation is definitely worth it - and Pope Francis has some great wisdom to share in this area. In this blog, Steph shares 3 quotes from Pope Francis that might encourage and guide you in your journey.
To enter into discernment is to resist the urge to seek the apparent relief of an immediate decision, and instead be willing to hold different options before the Lord, waiting on that overflow
So often we find ourselves in uncomfortable waiting spaces – often involving uncertainty and requiring us to patiently wait on the Lord. I’m not sure about you, but in these spaces, the temptation to simply make a decision in my own mind (often the one requiring less change and therefore, less risk) is very strong. As Pope Francis writes though, the ‘apparent relief’ or the safer option only provides a superficial satisfaction and fulfilment. However, our willingness to sit in the waiting space with God and bring him the different options will ensure that – whatever the outcome or decision – we will find deep peace and fulfilment in His plan for us and we will have grown in our trust, faith and discernment in the process.
Be not afraid
This is an oldie but a goldie – and for good reason! Asking the big questions with God can be really scary. It is our human nature to choose to remain in our comfort zone and to play it safe. However, as we spend time in prayer with God, we will find ourselves being drawn deeper into God’s love. It is from this space of encountering and receiving his love that every fear is quietened as we come to know with the deepest conviction that he is good; that his thoughts and plans for us are good; and that any place he might call us will be not only for our good but also for the good of all those whom he has called us to serve.
To discern our personal vocation, we have to realise that it is a calling from a friend, who is Jesus.
This quote is a beautiful reminder of whom it is who calls us to our vocation. It is Jesus, our friend! As I was sitting with this quote, I was reminded of a friend who would often come to pick me up some weekends and I would accompany her and her two small children as she ran some errands (errands, as I’ve discovered, can be quite challenging with two little people in tow!). Some days, I would hop into her car really having no idea of what the day would involve. But, as I was reminded of this friend, I realised that never once was I afraid as I got into the car with her. She is a dear friend and I trust her so I knew that whatever was in store for us, it would be good and that the time would be a special time of friendship.
Our journey of discerning our vocation is a little similar. We often don’t know what the road will look like, or where we are going, but we know that the one who invites us on the journey is our truest and dearest friend, Jesus. We can trust him and so, like me with my friend, we can ‘hop in the car’ confidently and without hesitation knowing that he is a friend who desires to be with us and that whatever He has in store will be good.
Steph Sullivan
