The Discernment Grid
The Discernment Grid, Timm Glover, M.Div.
Adapted from Dr. Richard Glenn, Transform: Twelve Tools for Life and Caregivers at the Well: A Thirst for Practical Spirituality
The Discernment Grid, adapted from Dr. Richard Glenn
Maxims:
1) The Discernment Grid provides a pictorial way to reflect upon one’s relationships with People (relationships and persons in all contexts of one’s life); Places (geographical locations, situations or circumstances, seasons of life, developmental phases, etc.); and Things (material goods, possessions, personal preferences, ideas or opinions, talents and gifts, etc.). Often, difficulties, stressors, suffering and desolation are caused by a lack of rightly ordered relationships to People, Places or Things. This tool draws upon both Thomistic and Ignatian perspectives.
2) The Discernment Grid is a snapshot of our relationships in a specific period or window of time. Said another way: the Discernment Tool is meant for ongoing discernment. As we define those categories which reflect right relationship with a given person, place or thing, such placements are not meant to necessarily be permanent or ongoing. Rather, through prayer, a vibrant Godward awareness, spiritual direction along with other foundational spiritual disciplines, one assesses and reassesses such relationships.
3) Prayer, Prayer, Prayer: Discernment is an exercise in prayerfulness and cooperating with God in bringing our will into greater and greater uniformity with His will. Daily mental prayer is vital and necessary for possessing such an interior disposition and the grace of discernment. Furthermore, understanding Saint Ignatius’ Rules of Discernment of Spirits and his Three Modes of Discerning God’s Will are rich and timeless resources to aide one in this ongoing task.
ENJOY: God has given us in light of our human nature and dignity goods to enjoy. Such goods reflect His wisdom and benevolence. As the Foundation and Principle of Saint Ignatius of Loyola states, “The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings to help them in the pursuit of the end for which they are created. From this it follows that we ought to use these things to the extent that they help us toward our end, and free ourselves from them to the extent that they hinder us from it.” For some persons with histories of tragic or chronic loss, neglect, abandonment, abuse or trauma, a capacity or permission to enjoy can be greatly diminished or impeded. As such, rightly ordered enjoyment guided by temperance and clarity of the right end can be a grace and gift to those who are in need of healing and liberation.
ENDURE: There are people, places and things that through God’s will are given to us to endure. Growth in humility or other virtues, docility, patience, trust in God and more may occur through the faithful stewarding of times of endurance. We read in scripture, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8. Those items in our Endure category are beyond our control. They are largely (if not completely) within our Circle of Concern but not within our Circle of Control; therefore, attending to how we are responding is critical. It is important to remember that in Endure, we seek to not grumble or complain nor do we inform those persons or relationships that they are held in our Endure category. Rather, we seek to grow in charity and justice towards others; strive to deny self for the purpose of greater self-giving; bring what we are enduring to the Cross of Christ for greater conformity; etc. We should pray earnestly over those people, places and things that we must endure.
REMOVE: There are those people, places and things we encounter in life that due to their negative, harmful or destructive nature or influence, should be removed from one’s proximity. A near occasion of sin is a classic example of something identified in one’s Remove category. If one is a diabetic or struggles with chronic heart failure, then perhaps certain foods, sugars or salt could warrant being placed in one’s Remove category. Removing people, places and things is an exercise in prudential boundary setting and active purgation. Learning to set boundaries can be another area in which our wounding can pose challenges. Attending to a rightly ordered interior motivation is important. Removing also invites us to deeper exploration of our attachments – calling to mind Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s admonition to be aware, to understand and then to act.
SURRENDER: For various reasons we may seek to surrender or give up a good that by justice we have a right to. In such cases, we may surrender something for the sake of a higher good; to respond with a larger “yes” to God’s will or action in our lives; as a means to attain greater sanctity; etc. Fasting, almsgiving, indifference to one’s rights or privileges in a given context, donating belongings to a shelter, and more can all be examples of surrendering. Surrendering may become a dimension of one’s Rule of Life or simply be a faithful observance for a defined period of time (i.e. Advent or Lent). Surrendering becomes a path of deep cooperation with God and obedience to Christ who calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him.
An Example Discernment Grid
