Many of us may want to lead a holy and virtuous life, but we don't know precisely how to do it.
It certainly is not an easy task and there is no precise formula that will guarantee a virtuous life.
However, there are some key steps involved if you want to follow God's will in your life.
St. Francis de Sales provides three key steps in his Introduction to the Devout Life, first providing the following analogy:
Let me make use of an illustration of my meaning. In contracting a marriage, the bride must be a party to three separate acts: first, the bridegroom is proposed to her; secondly, she entertains the proposal; and thirdly, she gives her consent.
1Listen to God's inspiration
The first step is simple and consists of listening to God and his inspiration.
Just so when God intends to perform some act of love in us, by us, and with us; He first suggests it by His inspiration.
God may speak to us with words, or he may move our heart with a particular desire. The key behind it all is to make space every day to listen to God.
2Discern the Inspiration
The next step is to entertain and discern the inspiration that God has given to you. God may inspire our soul with something, but it will do nothing for us until we consider it.
[S]till more is it good and acceptable in His Sight when we take delight in His interior inspirations. Such is the delight of which the Bride says, “My soul melted within me when my Beloved spake.” And so, too, the earthly lover is well satisfied when he sees that his lady-love finds pleasure in his attentions.
3Consent and put it into action
The most difficult step of all is putting God's inspiration into action. This could involve a small action on our part, or it could mean a major life shift.
The key is that we need to put it into action.
But, after all, consent only perfects the good action; for if we are inspired of God, and take pleasure in that inspiration, and yet, nevertheless, refuse our consent to His inspiration, we are acting a very contemptuous, offensive part towards Him. We read of the Bride, that although the voice of her Beloved touched her heart, she made trivial excuses, and delayed opening the door to Him, and so He withdrew Himself and “was gone.” And the earthly lover, who had long sought a lady, and seemed acceptable to her, would have the more ground for complaint if at last he was spurned and dismissed, than if he had never been favorably received.
As with all spiritual matters, it is important to present any major decisions to a trusted spiritual advisor before putting them into action, to ensure that they are from God.
Above all, if we want to draw closer to God, we need to listen to his voice and then to follow him in a concrete way.
