One who loves his sick relative may hide from him the seriousness of his sickness and never gives him a chance to prepare for his eternity. This is also a non-spiritual and unwise love.

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

Pastoral care and service without discretion could complicate matters instead of settling them.

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

When St. Anthony was asked about the best of virtues he answered, “Discretion…”, as virtue without discretion might destroy its possessors.

—Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

Another person takes the advice of those who are close to him without examining or discussing this advice… Or he might follow the steps of others, once more without examining them…
…

The reasonable and wise person is the one who chooses the wise advice, without depending on one opinion.

God gave man two ears: to hear the first opinion with one, and to listen to the opposite opinion with the other. The mind is in between, to weigh each opinion and choose the best…

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. 1

Listen to your heart. It’s there that Jesus speaks most intimately to you. Praying is first and foremost listening to Jesus who dwells in the very depths of your heart. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t thrust himself upon you. His voice is an unassuming voice, very nearly a whisper, the voice of a gentle love. Whatever you do with your life, go on listening to the voice of Jesus in your heart. This listening must be an active and very attentive listening, for in our restless and noisy world God’s so loving voice is easily drowned out. You need to set aside some time every day for this active listening to God if only for ten minutes. Ten minutes each day for Jesus alone can bring about a radical change in your life.

You’ll find it isn’t easy to be still for ten minutes at a time. You’ll discover straightaway that many other voices, voices that are very noisy and distracting, voices that do not come from God, demand your attention. But if you stick to your daily prayer time, then slowly but surely you’ll come to hear the gentle voice of love and will long more and more to listen to it.

—Henri Nouwen

Do not treat your conscience with contempt, for it always advises you to do what is best. It sets before you the will of God and the angels; it frees you from the secret defilements of the heart; and when you depart this life it grants you the gift of intimacy with God.

—St. Maximos the Confessor

“One important duty is to take guidance seriously. Guidance, as we said, is optional, but if you choose it, be serious.”

—Fr. Antony Paul, Confession and Guidance: An Approach

“Someone with the spirit of discipleship is always praying to God to know what His will is in all things, and thus, will be attentive to God in all aspects. This person will learn from the Bible, from books, from mentors, from children, from animals, from nature, from everything in existence, including the universe itself. This person will receive clarity because the person is asking, and is not presuming to know or discern the answers.”

—Fr. Antony Paul, Confession and Guidance: An Approach

Do not seek advice from a man who does not lead a life similar to your own, even if he be very wise. Confide your thoughts to a man who, though he lack learning, has experience in spiritual things rather than to a learned philosopher who speaks on the basis of speculations, having no actual experience.

Follow the counsel of a man who knows how with patience to make a trial of things that demand discernment. Not everyone is able to give trustworthy advice, but only he who has governed himself well, who possesses knowledge gained from experience in all things, who does not love himself, and who does not shy away from calumnies.

—St. Isaac the Syrian