What God Wants for Your Life

April 11, 2005
One of the most perplexing and enduring religious questions is how to discern God's will in a given situation. This book's blend of mainline Christian theology, biblical exploration and personal stories about probing God's will through spiritual discernment gives grounding for Christians who struggle with that issue. Schmidt—an Episcopal priest and director of spiritual life and formation for the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas—starts the exploration with "God-questions" to "usher us into another way of being, a new way of seeing the word." Most powerful is his chapter on "signs and wonders," which includes his explanation for why he has serious reservations about the practice of looking at every event in our lives as a "sign from God" pointing to a choice we are to make. Schmidt also cautions against thinking of God's will as a fixed and certain "to-do list." So how would he have us discern God's purpose? Listen to and with our lives, love God and enjoy the freedom that comes in using the gifts and graces to make choices. This is an important book on Christian spiritual discernment, especially for those overwhelmed by complicated "discernment processes" or for head-oriented believers who desire a better grasp on what mystical, contemplative types really mean when they talk about listening to God's voice.