Making Decisions with God
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Like many New Orleans families, my husband and I are in high school application season. With multiple good options, I knew this was going to be difficult decision to make. I also knew this wasn’t a decision we were going to make alone – deciding on a high school needs wisdom and guidance from God.
Fortunately, St. Ignatius of Loyola provides us with steps we can take when we are making big decisions. I have used this process to help make decisions many times in my life. Maybe you will find it helpful, too.
- Pray. Ask God for guidance as you begin this discernment process. This can be simple – ask the Holy Spirit to allow you to have an open heart and open mind as you walk though this decision.
- Gather your information. For us, that meant going on tours and open houses, having our son spend the day at different schools and talking with trusted friends.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit. After getting your information, take time to notice the internal movements of your heart. Checking in with God helps you to remember you aren’t doing this alone.
- Make your list. With your information at hand and an open heart, make your pro/con list. This can be as simple or detailed as you need it to be.
- Make a decision. With your information gathered and pro/con lists, it is now time to make an informed decision.
- Bring your decision to God. Bring your decision to God for confirmation. While praying, how does it feel to bring this decision to God? If it feels good, you can move on to the final step. If something feels “off” when you bring this to God in prayer, you may want to consider praying on this decision more or repeating some of the steps a second time.
- Act. Once you’ve made your decision, and it feels good in your head and your heart, thank God for this decision and act! For us, this means filling out the high school application card and excitedly waiting for the official acceptance letter next February.
Big decisions can sometimes feel overwhelming. When we ask God to help us with these decisions, we are no longer doing all the heavy lifting alone. The next time you have to make a decision, ask God to help you and see how it goes!
Charlotte Phillips lives in New Orleans with her family. She has a bachelor of arts in theology, a master of pastoral studies from Spring Hill College and taught ninth grade religion at Ursuline Academy. Charlotte enjoys Ignatian Spirituality, listening to live music and spending time with her family.