How to ‘Hush’ Other People’s Opinions in Personal Discernment (Part 3 of 3)

Parsing out perspective, delivery, and content

Note: this is Part 3 of a 3-part mini-series on dealing with advice from other people. Parts 1 and 2 are free to read, to help you get a sense of whether joining as a paid subscriber is a good fit for you at this time. (Right now, it’s only £5/ month.) Paid subscribers get an audio version of these essays as well the other regular perks: weekly essays, journaling prompts, all of the archives, quarterly Q&As, and wonderful, friendly discussions in the comments sections. 

Which idea counts the most? Does it matter who it comes from? (Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash)

In Part 1, we explored how to recognize if you might be the sort of person who tends to overemphasize the voices of others in your own discernment and decision-making; how to understand this tendency in a Christian context; and why embracing a season of ‘hushing’ might be helpful. 

Part 2 offered three questions to help you navigate the tricky waters of dealing with other people’s opinions in your own discernment, if you tend towards overemphasizing. (If you tend towards the other extreme, those questions will probably make things worse.)

Today I’m raising four more questions that you can ask yourself in the moment of receiving advice, or anytime you want to (prayer) journal with them.

4. Is this about them or about me?