{"id":72785,"date":"2024-07-22T10:13:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T02:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hkbts.edu.hk\/?p=72785"},"modified":"2025-06-17T16:52:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T08:52:44","slug":"discernment-and-finding-the-will-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hkbts.edu.hk\/en\/?p=72785\/","title":{"rendered":"Discernment and \u201cFinding the Will of God\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"72785\" class=\"elementor elementor-72785\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0e47810 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"0e47810\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0571b5d\" data-id=\"0571b5d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-92dd8d1 elementor-align-center elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-laptop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"92dd8d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hkbts.edu.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/201605_eNews_Eng.pdf\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Download PDF<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ddc6583 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-parallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"ddc6583\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3e662b3\" data-id=\"3e662b3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc0ee69 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cc0ee69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-cc0ee69{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee57efa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee57efa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Jonathan W. Lo<\/h4>\nAssistant Professor, New Testament\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d409d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9d409d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hkbts.edu.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/%E9%99%A2%E8%A8%8A%E6%96%87%E7%AB%A0-3-3.png?fit=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-72768\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67f5355 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"67f5355\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-67f5355{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6891033 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6891033\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000Hong Kong is undergoing a tumultuous time at present, and the need for discernment has never been greater. Seized by political uncertainty, social unrest, and the fracturing of society, Christians in Hong Kong face the challenge of making informed and wise decisions in a climate characterized by instability, fear, misinformation and growing distrust. Discernment is the ability to make good decisions; Christian discernment is the realization that the best decisions we can make in any given situation are those that align closely with the will of God. In a confusing time such as this, it is more important than ever to be able to hear the voice of God amidst the chaos.<\/p><h3 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color: #235ba8; font-size: 24px;\"><strong>Models of Discernment<\/strong><\/h3><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000There are two typical approaches to \u201cfinding the will of God\u201d: (1) the blueprint model, and (2) the wisdom model. The blueprint model assumes that there is only one path ordained by God and suggests that the believer\u2019s goal in life is to seek out what that one path is. It is not uncommon for those who subscribe to this model of discernment to look for external signs, including dreams, coincidences, \u201copen doors,\u201d and Scripture to confirm for them that the path they have chosen is the right one. In the wisdom model, the goal is to grow in wisdom as one matures in Christ and immerses oneself in the Scriptures. Having become enlightened, the believer will naturally be more inclined to make the right choices and less inclined to make bad ones. According to this view, the wiser a person becomes, the better choices they are able to make. The blueprint model attempts to find the will of God through signs and confirmations; the wisdom model implies that the wisest decision we can think of must be God\u2019s decision.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000The problem with both of these two models is that while they are rightly concerned with the will of God, they fail to acknowledge the presence of the living in our times of choice. Perhaps the fundamental problem in using terminology like \u201cfinding the will of God\u201d in the first place is that it places the emphasis on the plans of God, rather than on God himself. It is as though we are seeking a map that tells us where to go, rather than the company of someone who actually knows the way. With both the blueprint and wisdom models, God\u2019s plans for a situation may be discovered without requiring a person to be in actual communion with God. Since what we really want is to know the plans of God, the abiding presence of God becomes secondary, and worse, irrelevant.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000Gordon Smith, theologian and president of Ambrose University, proposes an alternative approach to understanding Christian discernment. In his book, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice<\/em>, Smith endorses the practice of actively seeking to hear the voice of God, especially in moments when one has to make difficult decisions. <sup>1<\/sup> Smith writes, \u201cGod is present; God does speak; and if we can, if we will, hear and respond to his prompting.\u201d <sup>2<\/sup> In contrast to the blueprint and wisdom models, Smith\u2019s approach firmly acknowledges the presence of the living God and the desire of God to speak to his people. The God of the Christian Bible loves his people and is actively engaged in leading and guiding them. <sup>3<\/sup><\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000And, since God is a living God we must view Christian discernment as an intentional and dynamic process that involves continually seeking to listen to God. Rather than receiving the roadmap ahead of time and going forth at our leisure, we must stop at each juncture to ask God for directions. Smith\u2019s model of discernment properly reorients our misguided views about God and realigns our lives in relation to God\u2019s will. We are not ultimately in control of our own lives; we do not get to choose where we are going. Perhaps \u201cwhat is God\u2019s will in my life?\u201d is the wrong question; instead we should ask \u201chow should I align my will to God\u2019s?\u201d Such an approach to discernment is revolutionary, because it implies that the most important thing is not knowing what to do in a difficult situation, but realizing that God is in the midst of it.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000According to Smith, the key to knowing the will of God in times of choice is to cultivate a relationship with God in which the believer is habitually aware of God\u2019s presence and intentionally seeks to hear his voice. <sup>4<\/sup> In other words, we must be accustomed to hearing God\u2019s voice on a regular basis, so that we can also hear his voice in times of choice. With the wisdom model of discernment, the believer grows in wisdom through reflection, contemplation, and the study of Scripture, so that he is able to make good decisions when times of choice come. Similarly, the believer who subscribes to Smith\u2019s model prepares himself before the time when a decision is to be made; however, instead of growing in wisdom, he is trained to acknowledge God\u2019s presence and to hear God\u2019s voice in his everyday life so that when the moment of decision comes, he can rely on what has become a customary practice. Catholic scholar Father Ernest E. Larkin notes that \u201c[d]iscernment can never be successfully carried out if it is only an occasional act that is foreign to one\u2019s usual total life.\u201d <sup>5<\/sup> This is similar to the opinion of Brother Lawrence: \u201cThat we need only to recognize GOD intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done.\u201d <sup>6<\/sup> A discerning person is the one who is constantly aware of God\u2019s presence and actively seeks to hear from God will.<\/p><h3 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color: #235ba8; font-size: 24px;\"><strong>Ways to Cultivate Awareness of God\u2019s Presence and Attentiveness to God\u2019s Voice<\/strong><\/h3><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000Since Smith\u2019s approach to discernment relies on actively seeking to hear God\u2019s voice in times of choice, and since God is dynamic and may respond differently to people even in the same situations, there is not one set method for determining God\u2019s will. However, there are three ways through which we may cultivate the practice of being aware of God\u2019s presence and actively hearing his voice: (1) worship, (2) prayer and meditation, and (3) community.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000The goal of worship is to allow us to be aware of God\u2019s presence. Worship reminds us of who God is and reorients ourselves in relation to God. Every time we worship, we proclaim that God is Holy and that God is \u201cmerciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.\u201d <sup>7<\/sup> Marva Dawn, the American theologian best known for her work on the topic of worship, notes that \u201c[t]he goal of the Christian life is that for more and more seconds of each day what we think and do and say is to God&#8217;s glory, that every moment is worship of the true God instead of various idolatries of our making or of our culture&#8217;s.\u201d <sup>8<\/sup> Every time we worship, we are acknowledging that no matter how important we may think we are, we are not God, we are fellow-created-beings, and we are not in charge of anything. Worship is an activity by which we acknowledge God\u2019s presence and let go of our desire for control.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000The goal of prayer and meditation is to actively approach God and seek to hear his voice intentionally. Dallas Willard says that Christians are intended \u201cto live in an ongoing conversation with God, speaking and being spoken to.\u201d <sup>9<\/sup> Being in relationship with God involves both speaking and listening. Smith similarly suggests that friendship with God is sustained by prayer, and that \u201cit is in prayer that we encounter the will and purposes of God and allow God to speak to our wills, our motives, our desires, and our priorities.\u201d An example can be seen in the Lord\u2019s Prayer, where Jesus teaches his disciples to prioritize God\u2019s name, God\u2019s kingdom, and God\u2019s will above their own needs. <sup>10<\/sup> If prayer is speaking to God on God\u2019s terms, then meditation is the way we listen to God. Richard Foster, in <em>The Celebration of Discipline<\/em>, states that one of the important goals of meditation is to remind us that \u201cGod is speaking in the continuous present and wants to address us.\u201d <sup>11<\/sup> Meditation enables one to enter the presence of God, for the purpose of hearing from God. Therefore, prayer and meditation are opportunities to practice the presence of God by tuning our minds to God\u2019s will and desire. Brother Lawrence cultivated his prayer and meditative life to the extent that even when doing tedious kitchen work in the Carmelite Order in Paris, he was able to experience the presence of God. He writes: \u201c[t]hat we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD\u2019s Presence, by continually conversing with Him.\u201d <sup>12<\/sup>Prayer and meditation are activities undertaken with the intention of approaching God and hearing his voice; Brother Lawrence is a good example that such an intention can be learned, practiced and cultivated. In the words of Anglican theologian Samuel Wells, prayer is \u201can experience of God\u2019s ultimate purpose that his people should worship him and be his friends.\u201d <sup>13<\/sup> God\u2019s will for his people is revealed through prayer and meditation.<\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000The role of the community of faith is also crucial to the process of discernment. As Smith suggests, \u201c[w]e never discern in isolation; we discern in community.\u201d <sup>14<\/sup> In the New Testament, the community of faith replaces the Temple as the place where God\u2019s spirit dwells, <sup>15<\/sup> and is therefore also crucial for hearing God\u2019s voice. God does not speak to his people in isolation; the truth of God\u2019s revelation, whether it is obtained through Scripture, teaching, or prayer and meditation, is affirmed within the community of faith that comes before God. In the early church, tongues require interpretation, and words of prophecy are evaluated by other people in the community. <sup>16<\/sup> Important decisions, such as the commissioning of Barnabas and Paul for missionary work, were affirmed by the Holy Spirit in a communal setting of worship and prayer. <sup>17<\/sup> The church is to be a place where the voice of Jesus and the direction of the Holy Spirit, whether through Scripture or personal revelation, can be heard, tested, and affirmed by the community of God\u2019s people. God\u2019s presence become more real and his voice clearer, through the community of faith.<\/p><h3 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color: #235ba8; font-size: 24px;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000Although discernment is the primary concern of this essay, we discover that Christian discernment is actually a by-product of something much more valuable: a relationship with the living God. Willard writes, \u201c[h]earing God is but one dimension of a richly interactive relationship, and obtaining guidance is but one facet of hearing God.\u201d <sup>18<\/sup> We do receive guidance from God when we engage with his presence, but it is no longer our goal. The model of discernment advocated by Smith is not dependent on a specific decision-making method or a systematic formulation of theology; it is a type of spiritual discernment, in the sense of a mystical and experiential encounter with God that is facilitated by regular worship, prayer and meditation, and community. If our lives are characterized by an intentional and ongoing relationship with God, there may not be a need to \u201cfind the will of God\u201d\u2013\u2013we will already be walking in the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. <sup>19<\/sup> We make specific decisions, being mindful of God\u2019s presence and actively seeking to hear his voice in the particular situation. Similarly, the American philosopher and theologian Dallas Willard stresses the importance of human initiative in response to God\u2019s guidance in his book <em>Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God<\/em>: \u201cGenerally speaking, we are in God&#8217;s will whenever we are leading the kind of life he wants for us. And that leaves a lot of room for initiative on our part, which is essential: our individual initiatives are central to his will for us.\u201d <sup>20<\/sup><\/p><p align=\"\u201cjustify\u201d\">\u3000\u3000As Prov 1:7 reminds us (\u201cThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge\u2026\u201d), the realization that God is present in our times of choice is the starting point for making wise decisions; it is also the anchor that will ensure that our actions will be done in accordance with God\u2019s character and will. And ultimately, the realization of God\u2019s presence is also a source comfort and peace; because God is ultimately in charge, the world will not end because we make a bad decision. God is able to work with our mistakes and limitations. As Smith articulates in another helpful book on discernment called <em>The Voice of Jesus: Discernment, Prayer, and the Witness of the Spirit<\/em>, \u201cin the end, our confidence rests not on our capacity to choose well, but on the loving and providential care of the God who guides and whom we long to hear.\u201d <sup>21<\/sup> Smith\u2019s model of discernment \u201cdoes not lead to absolute, infallible, irrefutable answers, but to an assurance that we are living and working in response to God.\u201d <sup>22<\/sup> Peace in our decision-making comes not from being certain that our decisions are absolutely correct, but from knowing that we have done our best to make our decisions in view of God\u2019s presence, and that our actions spring out of a desire to live in accordance with what we can know of his will.<\/p><h3 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color: #808080; font-size: 10px;\">____________________________________________<\/h3><p style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><sup>1<\/sup> Gordon T. Smith, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God\u2019s Will<\/em> (Grand Rapids: IVP Books, 1997). I had the pleasure of taking a course on discernment and calling with Gordon Smith during my time of study at Regent College, where I first became aware of this material. I am indebted to Dr. Smith for his tutelage and for shaping the way that I now view discernment and calling. The following essay outlines the major contours of Smith\u2019s thinking on discernment, but readers are highly encouraged to read Smith\u2019s insightful discussion in Listening to God in Times of Choice for themselves.<br \/><sup>2<\/sup> Smith, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice<\/em>, 17.<br \/><sup>3<\/sup> E.g. The Bible frequently introduces the image of the shepherd and his sheep to describe God\u2019s care of and guidance over his people (e.g. Ps 23; Ezek 34, John 10:4, etc.); those with God-given leadership roles are also referred to as shepherds (e.g. Ps 78:70-72; Isa 44:28; Jer 3:15; 23:4; Ezek 37:22, 24; Zech 13:7, etc.)<br \/><sup>4<\/sup> Smith defines the believer\u2019s relationship with God as one of \u201cfriendship.\u201d Smith, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice<\/em>, 19-20; see also Samuel Wells, <em>God\u2019s Companions: Reimagining Christian Ethics<\/em> (Malden: Blackwell, 2006), 1-2, 9-10, 26-28, 39-41; and Dallas Willard, <em>Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God<\/em> (Grand Rapids: IVP Books, 1999), 81, 86, 122.<br \/><sup>5<\/sup> Ernest Larkin, <em>Silent Presence: Discernment as Process and Problem<\/em> (Denville: Dimension, 1981), 28.<br \/><sup>6<\/sup> Brother Lawrence, <em>The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life: Being Conversations and Letters of Nicholas Herman of Lorraine<\/em> (New York: F. H. Revell, 1895), 15.<br \/><sup>7<\/sup> Cf. Lev 19:2; Exod 34:6.<br \/><sup>8<\/sup> Marva J. Dawn, <em>In the Beginning, GOD: Creation, Culture, and the Spiritual Life<\/em> (Grand Rapids: IVP Books, 2009), 17.<br \/><sup>9<\/sup> Willard, <em>Hearing God<\/em>, 252.<br \/><sup>10<\/sup> In the Lord\u2019s Prayer in Matt 6:9-13, Jesus teaches his disciples to first pray for God\u2019s reputation (name), kingdom, and will\u2013before they ask God to meet their needs.<br \/><sup>11<\/sup> Richard J. Foster, <em>The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth<\/em> (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 24.<br \/><sup>12<\/sup> Brother Lawrence, <em>The Practice of the Presence of God<\/em>, 8.<br \/><sup>13<\/sup> Wells, <em>God\u2019s Companions<\/em>, 84.<br \/><sup>14<\/sup> Smith, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice<\/em>, 128.<br \/><sup>15<\/sup> Cf. 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Eph 2:21-22, etc.<br \/><sup>16<\/sup> 1 Cor 14:27-29; Cf. John 4:1.<br \/><sup>17<\/sup> E.g. Acts 13:1-3. See also Acts 1:15-26; 14:23.<br \/><sup>18<\/sup> Willard, <em>Hearing God<\/em>, 122.<br \/><sup>19<\/sup> E.g. Gal 5:16, 18, 25.<br \/><sup>20<\/sup> Willard, <em>Hearing God<\/em>, 132.<br \/><sup>21<\/sup> Gordon T. Smith, <em>The Voice of Jesus: Discernment, Prayer, and the Witness of the Spirit <\/em> (Grand Rapids: IVP Books, 2003), 260.<br \/><sup>22<\/sup> Smith, <em>Listening to God in Times of Choice<\/em>, 23.<\/p><p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jonathan W. Lo Assistant Professor, New Testament Hong Kong is currently going through a turbulent period, and the need for discernment has never been more urgent. Amid political uncertainty, social unrest, and social divisions, the challenge facing Christians in Hong Kong is to make informed and wise decisions in an atmosphere of instability, distrust, fear, and misinformation. Discernment is the ability to make appropriate decisions; and Christian discernment is the realization that the best decisions we can make in any situation are those that are close to the heart of God. In these confusing times, it is more important than ever to hear God&#039;s voice in the chaos. Different Models of Discernment There are two typical approaches to &quot;seeking God&#039;s will&quot;: the blueprint model and the wisdom model. The blueprint model assumes that there is only one God-ordained path, and the believer&#039;s goal in life is to find that path. People who accept this discernment model often seek external signs, including dreams, coincidences, &quot;open doors,&quot; and biblical texts, to confirm that they have chosen the right path. The wisdom model assumes that as believers grow in Christ and gain a deeper understanding of Scripture, their wisdom grows accordingly. As believers are enlightened, they naturally tend to make the right choices and not the wrong choices. In this view, the wiser a person becomes, the better he or she will be at making the right choices. The blueprint model attempts to find God&#039;s will through signs and confirmations; the wisdom model assumes that the &quot;wisest choice&quot; we can make must be God&#039;s decision. The flaw in both models is that, while they both care about God&#039;s will, they ignore the presence of the living God in the moment of decision. Perhaps the use of the phrase &quot;seeking God&#039;s will&quot; is problematic because it places the emphasis on God&#039;s plan rather than God himself. It is as if we are looking for a map to show us the way rather than someone who knows the way to accompany us. According to the blueprint model and the wisdom model, people can discover God&#039;s plan for a situation without actually being in communion with God. If we just want to know God&#039;s plan, God&#039;s presence at all times becomes secondary or even irrelevant. Gordon Smith, a theologian who serves as president of Ambrose University, offers another approach to understanding Christian discernment. In his book Listening to God in Times of Choice, Smith argues that we should actively seek to hear God\u2019s voice, especially in difficult moments.1 Smith says, \u201cGod is present; God speaks; and if we are able and willing, we can hear and respond to His promptings.\u201d2 Unlike the first two models, Smith\u2019s approach recognizes the presence of the living God and the presence of God in our lives.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[293],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-293"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u8fa8\u8b58\u8207\u300c\u5c0b\u6c42\u795e\u7684\u65e8\u610f\u300d - \u9999\u6e2f\u6d78\u4fe1\u6703\u795e\u5b78\u9662<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hkbts.edu.hk\/en\/?p=72785\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u8fa8\u8b58\u8207\u300c\u5c0b\u6c42\u795e\u7684\u65e8\u610f\u300d - \u9999\u6e2f\u6d78\u4fe1\u6703\u795e\u5b78\u9662\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u76e7\u5141\u665e \u65b0\u7d04\u52a9\u7406\u6559\u6388 Jonathan W. Lo Assistant Professor, New Testament 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\u8fa8\u8b58\u7684\u4e0d\u540c\u6a21\u5f0f \u3000\u3000\u300c\u5c0b\u6c42\u795e\u7684\u65e8\u610f\u300d\u6709\u5169\u7a2e\u5178\u578b\u53d6\u5411\uff1a\u85cd\u5716\u6a21\u5f0f\uff08the blueprint model\uff09\u548c\u667a\u6167\u6a21\u5f0f\uff08the wisdom 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\u3000\u3000\u5728\u5b89\u5e03\u9b6f\u65af\u5927\u5b78\uff08Ambrose University\uff09\u64d4\u4efb\u6821\u9577\u7684\u795e\u5b78\u5bb6\u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\uff08Gordon Smith\uff09\uff0c\u63d0\u51fa\u4ee5\u53e6\u4e00\u53d6\u5411\u53bb\u7406\u89e3\u57fa\u7763\u5f92\u7684\u8fa8\u8b58\u3002\u5728\u300a\u807d\u4e3b\u5fae\u8072\uff0e\u660e\u4e3b\u65e8\u610f\u300b\uff08Listening to God in Times of Choice\uff09\u4e00\u66f8\u4e2d\uff0c\u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\u8d0a\u540c\u6211\u5011\u8981\u4e3b\u52d5\u5730\u5c0b\u6c42\u8046\u807d\u795e\u7684\u8072\u97f3\uff0c\u7279\u5225\u5728\u4f5c\u51fa\u8271\u96e3\u6c7a\u5b9a\u7684\u6642\u523b\u30021 \u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\u8aaa\uff1a\u300c\u795e\u662f\u81e8\u5728\u7684\uff1b\u795e\u8aa0\u7136\u8aaa\u8a71\uff1b\u82e5\u6211\u5011\u80fd\u5920\uff0c\u82e5\u6211\u5011\u9858\u610f\uff0c\u5c31\u53ef\u4ee5\u807d\u898b\u548c\u56de\u61c9\u7942\u7684\u63d0\u793a\u3002\u300d2 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\u3000\u3000\u5728\u5b89\u5e03\u9b6f\u65af\u5927\u5b78\uff08Ambrose University\uff09\u64d4\u4efb\u6821\u9577\u7684\u795e\u5b78\u5bb6\u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\uff08Gordon Smith\uff09\uff0c\u63d0\u51fa\u4ee5\u53e6\u4e00\u53d6\u5411\u53bb\u7406\u89e3\u57fa\u7763\u5f92\u7684\u8fa8\u8b58\u3002\u5728\u300a\u807d\u4e3b\u5fae\u8072\uff0e\u660e\u4e3b\u65e8\u610f\u300b\uff08Listening to God in Times of Choice\uff09\u4e00\u66f8\u4e2d\uff0c\u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\u8d0a\u540c\u6211\u5011\u8981\u4e3b\u52d5\u5730\u5c0b\u6c42\u8046\u807d\u795e\u7684\u8072\u97f3\uff0c\u7279\u5225\u5728\u4f5c\u51fa\u8271\u96e3\u6c7a\u5b9a\u7684\u6642\u523b\u30021 \u53f2\u5bc6\u601d\u8aaa\uff1a\u300c\u795e\u662f\u81e8\u5728\u7684\uff1b\u795e\u8aa0\u7136\u8aaa\u8a71\uff1b\u82e5\u6211\u5011\u80fd\u5920\uff0c\u82e5\u6211\u5011\u9858\u610f\uff0c\u5c31\u53ef\u4ee5\u807d\u898b\u548c\u56de\u61c9\u7942\u7684\u63d0\u793a\u3002\u300d2 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