In his will is our peace.
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy: Paradise

Indeed, to know the will of God in our little lives is what the spiritual aspirant in us wants most of all. Then we could relax, trusting God to show us the right way while we simply followed his directions, rather like a computer programmed for a specific piece of work.

But how can we discover the divine will? The more desperately we search, the more surely does the cloud of frustration envelop us. If we are unwise enough to consult other people renowned for their gift of discernment, whether of a natural psychic disposition or a more definitely Christian charismatic commitment, we are very liable to place ourselves under their domination; and human nature being what it is, the person will all too easily accept the open invitation to control our life according to some inner directive. None of us is free from prejudice, which in turn cannot but cloud our judgement even if we sincerely offer ourself to the service of God and our fellows.

It is strange in this respect to reflect on Jeremiah's promise: "If you search with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord" (Jer. 29.13). The emphasis here is on the heart: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (in Letters and Papers from Prison) said that the "heart" in the biblical sense is not the inward life, but the whole person in relation to God. Therefore in terms of our quest for the divine will, we can only begin to realize it when we are prepared to offer our whole being to God, not merely an egoistical grasping for God's support. If we seek God with only a part of us, he eludes our grasp, but if we are prepared to offer our very being to the quest, even though our body may perish in the enterprise, our deeper consciousness of reality, which we call the soul, will touch the divine ground, and we will know eternal life. Admittedly this knowledge starts in hazy shafts, but as the life of the spirit proceeds and we are divested of outer possessions (these are the idols so constantly attacked by the prophets of Israel), so we come into a much more constant relationship with God.

The sincerity of our quest is measured by the devotion we show to the common round of existence which we encounter day by day. Like Martha, we are to find the divine presence in the routine tasks that confront us, no matter how uninspiring our work may be. Therefore the will of God is to be found in our present situation, our "sacrament of the present moment" as Jean-Pierre de Caussade calls it in his spiritual classic Self Abandonment to Divine Providence. To work as efficiently as possible and as harmoniously as we can with the people around us is what God wants of us at any one time and place. If we do our apportioned task satisfactorily, greater work will lie ahead of us: the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25.14-30) is our guide here. A time may well come when an inner prompting, coming quite spontaneously either during prayer or simply in the course of our daily routine, will inform us that something more is required of us. This is the type of vocation that moves one to dedicate one's life to ministry or religious vows, but often it is less spectacular than this, and simply calls one to a more committed work in the world under Christian allegiance. Our Lord is present where even two or three are met together in his name (Matt. 18.20). And where he is, his will inspires all our efforts.

When he calls us, showing us his will, he is much more likely to come to us directly than through the mediation of a third party. We are therefore well advised to look warily at all unsought, proffered advice that comes to us from someone claiming special inspiration. If we cannot discern the movement of the Holy Spirit within us, we are unlikely to know its truth in anyone else.

May I have, Lord, such inner peace of mind that I can be about your business at all times, confident that I am doing your will, but always open to new directions of service appropriate to changed situations of times and places.