Christian writer, Jerry Sittser, wrote in his book ‘the Will of God as a Way of Life’:
“We should not expect . . . unusual experiences to occur, refusing to budge an inch. . . unless God speaks with clarity. . . . For some reason we assume God has opinions about everything. I’m not sure He does. God might remain silent because he has nothing to say. His silence might mean little more than “Fine, you can be an accountant or a teacher, or move to Orlando or stay in Chicago, marry Sam or remain single. It doesn’t much matter to me. I’ll bless you either way.” Or his silence may also mean he has something more important to say that we are not willing to hear. If we would bother to listen, we might hear God say something like “No, I don’t mind whether you go to Harvard or Spokane Community College, but I do mind that you are sleeping with your boyfriend. Stop it, please.”
The extraordinary is just that—extraordinary, a departure from normality, an exception to the rule. It is not something we should demand or expect from God, though we should always be open to it and ready to respond. If God interrupts our lives, then so be it. We will never know ahead of time, and it would be a distraction if we did.
If we listen to God, we must cultivate quietness of soul. Ignatius of Loyola prescribed the proper “occasions” when a good choice is made. Sometimes God simply moves the will to pursue a particular course of action. Ignatius believed such direct guidance, however, is the exception, not the rule. Most of the time God uses ordinary means to speak to us. We must learn to be tranquil so that we can listen and respond. Agitation and distraction prevent us from hearing God’s voice.7
Some Christians practice fasting to quiet the soul. Fasting disciplines our appetites and increases spiritual sensitivity. In depriving the body of food, we nurture the life of the soul. The body gets less, the soul gets more. The early church practiced fasting as a way of discerning God’s will. Believers in Antioch prayed and fasted, for example before laying hands on Paul and Barnabas and sending them off to do missionary work. Fasting and prayer made them better listeners.8 ~Jerry Sittser, the Will of God as a Way of Life (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan, 2000, 2004) 98-99
(Posts with a preamble asterisk * are for a more general audience, and not specific to teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
