I don’t know about you, but with the convergence of the new year and the economy I’m at a place of needing to make some decisions.  These choices can be right or wrong.  They can be what I want or what God wants, or they may be somewhere in between.  At some level I need to know which way is up.

     When life seems to be swirling around it can be tough to discern which way is the “right” way to go.  As I work through this process of discernment, there is much  for me to consider.  I need to take in my story.  What I mean by that is, my experiences, my inclinations as a person, my passions, the gifts and skills given to me, and the lens by which I make new choices based upon these things.  In addition, I need to take all that is my authentic self and my wants and see where they fit with God’s desire for me.

     As I journey with Christ, I know that I have not “arrived” yet.  I still have my baggage and limitations that I carry with me.  I am still sucked into the culture of my western world view, with its emphasis on riches, honor and pride. This world view or what we think as “upward mobility” is not the way that God would have us go.  In fact, it is totally the opposite.  It is poverty, it is rejection and dishonor, it is humility.  The scripture tells us to be transformed to the likeness of Christ and His example to us is “downward mobility’. So when I am looking at making a choice I need to recognize in myself this perceived need of upward mobility and ask God for the wisdom to follow what He wants for me.  I need to become more and more aware of these things, just as we all do.

     For me to gain this awareness of myself and of God, requires that I spend time in solitude and silence.  I need to lay out the situation before God and take the time to listen to Him and to evaluate these things.  But when in crisis or when there much external pressure, often times this is the hardest thing to do.  It is by God’s grace many times that I am able to get this time and space, which allows me to reflect and decide.

     These are but a couple pieces of my discernment process, but extremely important.  Each one of us has a process of some sort, what does yours look like?  How is that you determine “which way is up?”