Daily Thought For April 25, 2015
Growth In Discernment
Peace and tranquility of mind alone give great strength to the soul, to enable it to do all that God wishes, while, on the other hand, anxiety and uneasiness make the soul feeble and languid as though sick. Then one feels neither taste for, nor attraction to, virtue; but, on the contrary, disgust and discouragement, of which the devil does not fail to take advantage. For this reason he uses all his pretexts, at one time about self-examination or sorrow for sin, at another about the way we continually neglect grace, or that by our own fault we make no progress; that God will, at last, forsake us and a hundred other devices from which very few people can defend themselves. This is why masters of the spiritual life lay down this great principle to distinguish the true inspirations of God from those that emanate from the devil: the former are always sweet and peaceful inducing the soul to confidence and humility, while the latter are intense, restless, and violent, leading to discouragement and mistrust, or else to presumption and self-will. We must, therefore, constantly reject all that does not show signs of peace, submission, sweetness, and confidence, all of which bear, as it were, the impression of the seal of God; this point is a very important one for the whole of our life.
De Caussade, J.-P. (2011). Inner Peace: Wisdom from Jean-Pierre de Caussade. (K. Hermes, Ed.) (p. 88). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.