06 Sep Book Review: Discovering God’s Will For Your Life: A User’s Guide To Discernment By Trevor Hudson
There’s no getting through this Christian journey without addressing the question, what does God want me to do with my life? Trevor Hudson tackles this topic with the book written under the bold title, Discovering God’s Will For Your Life: A User’s Guide to Discernment.
This short but impactful book has three main outcomes: latching into God’s vision for your life, defining discernment, and taking action on what we learn. Hudson encourages individual application of his points with short exercises found in the book.
Discovering God’s Will for Your Life (Trevor Hudson): Published by Struik Christian Media. Available wherever books are sold.
Discernment involves recognising God’s active presence and voice so that we can respond to what God is doing and saying, and bring our lives into more harmony with God’s dream for our world. Quote p. 51
Hudson deftly explores discernment of God’s personal will through our lives through scripture, circumstances, the Holy Spirit, our giftings and conversations with those who know us well. He draws from personal experience and decades of pastoral experience. The pages of this book almost radiate with the sage and gentleness you would expect from a seventy-year-plus old pastor who is still pouring out his life for the Father and his children. Expect less ‘name it and claim it’ type ra-ra moments and more slower, head-nodding ‘a-ha!’ moments.
Our personal calling is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. – Trevor Hudson
One of Hudson’s key principles to discerning God’s personal will for your life is to reflect on what you have learnt in your life experiences. The wisdom of experience is only unlocked, he explains, when one takes the time to reflect on the success and failure of circumstances. This is probably why the book is laden with ‘discernment exercises’ to put the knowledge found in these pages into immediate action.
What I loved most about this book was its simple practicality. It is straightforward and easy to understand but acts a teaser to go deeper with God for oneself. I personally loved Hudson’s reflection on spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation, a principle I have used since in trying to discern next steps in decisions.
This book is not for anyone who is looking for an easy way to hear God’s voice for themselves. It is rather a book for those looking to forge spiritual ‘tools’ for their lifelong ‘discernment toolbox’.
I hope you will pick up a copy of this book and be encouraged to seek out God’s personal will for your life!
This book was kindly sent to me by Struik Christian Media for review. All views expressed are my own.
Kate is the current owner and editor of Cup of Faith. She is a blogger who loves Jesus, loves to read, and currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband.
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