I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
— Susan B. Anthony
I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
— Susan B. Anthony
5 comments:
Just wanted to say modern neuroscience backs Susie-B up. Recent studies show that when people are asked to imagine another person's pov, their brain patterns change, but when they imagine "God's" pov, their brain patterns are their own.
Someone once defined vocation (ie what God is calling you to do) as something that you have the desire, the ability and the opportunity to do.
So I am equally suspicious of people who keep telling us that God wants us to do things that we hate doing (usually because they think it will be "good for you").
@ Yvonne - yes I heard aout that piece of research but had forgotten about it when I posted the quote.
@ Steve - that is very true (but in that case how does one distinguish vocation from one's own desires? Or is it the Divine in us responding to the Divine?
When I was about 15, a boy very earnestly told me that God wanted me to go out with him (he had prayed about it, you see). So I asked a wise friend what she thought, and she asked if I felt the same way, and I said no, so she said, well, don't then.
So yes, I am sure that the desire to do the thing that feels like a calling is reciprocal.
Yewtree,
That boy may have had the desire, but you didn't give him the opportunity, did you? It's not desire alone, but ability and opportunity are important too.
I may desire to write brilliant poetry, but I don't have the ability, so I conclude that God is not calling me to be a poet.
Ah, I see, so all three must come together for it to count as a vocation - well that certainly makes sense.
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