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" This is precisely the test of true humility, that one no longer presumes to judge whether or not one is too miserable to be included in the call to sanctity but simply answers the merciful love of God by sinking down into adoration.” And this sinking down, this humility, leads to confidence. Hildebrand continues, “The question whether I feel worthy to be called is beside the point; that God has called is the one thing that matters.”15 Understanding that our emotions are not the measure of God’s call may go a long way to closing the confidence gap between men and women. In the May 2014 cover story of the Atlantic, journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write about the sociological phenomenon in which men tend to overestimate their abilities while women tend to underestimate theirs, even when controlled evaluations show no difference in competence. Sociologists suggest many causes for the confidence gap—including even chemical differences—but the result of such a gap is that women’s self-doubt keeps them from acting, while men’s overconfidence leads them to act when they shouldn’t. Of course, this does not mean that all men have an inflated sense of their abilities or that some women couldn’t use a dose of humility. But the research does reveal how our emotions don’t always correspond with reality. And because they don’t, we can’t be led by them—especially when it comes to the Holy Spirit’s call on our life. "
― Hannah Anderson , Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul
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" While the Scripture encourages us to give up our liberties for the good of each other, the goal is not conformity. We sacrifice for each other because we are in relationship with each other, not in order to stay in relationship with each other. This nuance is essential because it helps us discern the difference between healthy and unhealthy communities. Because as much as healthy communities can lead us to wisdom and goodness, unhealthy communities can actually hinder our developing discernment. Another point that Jacobs makes in How to Think is how often we conform to community expectations and toe the party line, not because we are convinced it’s right or good, but because speaking out against it would jeopardize our membership in the group. Sometimes this may mean accepting bad treatment for ourselves, as in abusive relationships, or enabling the abuse of others, all in order to stay in the group. Jacobs says that we can tell the difference between an unhealthy community and a healthy one by its attitude toward discernment. An unhealthy community “discourages, mocks, and ruthlessly excludes those who ask uncomfortable questions. … The genuine community is open to thinking and questioning, so long as those thoughts and questions come from people of goodwill.”9 In fact, the dissenting voice is so important to finding goodness that God has equipped certain people with a particular gift for discernment. "
― Hannah Anderson , All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment
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" Peter, that hopeless, helpless wreck of man. Peter, who chided Jesus, who refused to let Him wash his feet, who denied Him in His most vulnerable hour. Who was so broken by his own faithlessness that he went away and wept. This same Peter invites us to take hope in a God who has “called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.”7 In other words, your transformation is a sure thing. Your being made like Him will happen because He promises it. And so you can trust Him. You can take hope. And because you have hope, you can continue on. You can persevere. You can keep going because "
― Hannah Anderson , Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image
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" In order to discern whether something is worth that price, we must have a clear sense of what God is calling us to and what He is not; we also must trust that He’s working everything in our lives for good. This foundation gives us the clarity we need to align our decisions with the work that He’s already doing—even if that means saying no to good things. For me, this means seeking God through prayer, getting perspective from spiritual counselors, and identifying the clear signs of providence in my life, i.e., do minor details, opportunities, gifts, and timing seem to align, leading me toward a certain choice? I also ask myself the following questions: Does this opportunity fit my specific calling, or could anyone do it? Should someone else do it? Can I justify the time, effort, and energy? Is the exchange fair to everyone, especially to those who are closest to me? Do the people near me sense God calling me to this opportunity? Would I be disobedient to say no? Would I be saying yes for wrong reasons, like people pleasing, fear of missing out, greed, pride, or celebrity? Would I be saying no for wrong reasons, like laziness, insecurity, timidity, or fear of responsibility? "
― Hannah Anderson , All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment
