February 6
The Answer I Prefer
Two people offer us different advice, and one answer produces immediate relief. That is the person who understands, we decide. The other seems judgmental, perhaps a little out of touch. Their advice may indeed be unsuitable. Still, our quick ranking of their wisdom deserves a look when it follows our preferences so precisely.
Seeking God's will does not make us immune to selecting evidence. We can pray earnestly and continue shopping for agreement. A useful question concerns what we do with an answer that troubles us. Are we able to consider it, explain honestly why it seems wrong, and remain curious about the concern beneath it? We need not obey the least pleasant suggestion to prove our humility. But giving unwelcome information a fair hearing can keep prayer from becoming a way of blessing the conclusion we had already reached before asking anybody.
How do I treat guidance that does not give me immediate relief?
The unwelcome answer deserves an honest hearing.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Eleven, pp. 103–104.