How do I know when some of my thoughts and feelings are from God or not from God? St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, teaches us how to understand the characteristic signs of God working in our life

Tracking Back

As a way of understanding ups and downs in people's lives Ignatius suggests a person examine carefully their own experiences to reveal what caused emotions of anxiety, sadness and feelings of being scattered. Ignatius would teach people to track feelings and thoughts backward to see where and how they began. In practicing this, people became aware that there was a spiritual element even in the daily and ordinary events of one's life.

Beginning, Middle, End

At times of having to make decisions and being uncertain of what thoughts and feelings were from God, Ignatius encouraged looking at the beginning, middle and end of one's thoughts or ideas. If from beginning to end our attention has been focussed on what is good and will lead me closer to Christ we can be sure the good spirit has been moving us. But if we started off well and our thoughts and actions gradually began to get twisted toward self-interest and greed we discover that our good beginnings have ended leading us in a direction away from God.

Characteristic signs

Once we have practiced "tracking back" we come to know some of the typical signs of the good and evil spirits. Following the good spirit leaves us with the experience of peace. Following the evil spirit leaves us with the experience of feeling scattered and uneasy. But often we don't have lots of time to sit down and take things quietly. Our choices and decisions have to be instant and quickly made. Ignatius realised this and gave some helpful images and ways of quickly testing thoughts and desires to see if they are from God

Am I Drawn or Driven?

The good spirit draws the person gently toward goodness and doing God's will, increases a person's freedom and brings a peacefulness in choices made. This is in contrast to the evil spirit which typically makes its presence felt by driving a person to become busy, to do more and eventually to become scattered

Gentle or Disturbing?

Good and evil are opposites. For a person whose life is directed toward God, good and evil ideas or thoughts are experienced as feeling differently. Ignatius uses the image of the gentle way a drop of water penetrates a sponge in contrast to the violent way a waterfall splashes onto a rock ledge below.

"Don't Let Anyone Know"

Experiencing a hidden pressure to keep my choice or actions hidden and secret is a typical sign of the evil spirit. Keeping everything secret and hidden leaves a person with a constant feeling of agitation. In contrast a typical sign of the Holy Spirit is to lead people into the truth, to live in the light, and experience a peacefulness and joy in doing what is right