The process is a spiritual journey into the truth about God, yourself, relationships, work, and the world. God is the true guide and director, while the human spiritual director is like a coach or a midwife, assisting you in noticing and responding to the inner voice of God and his movement. The director is primarily interested in your experience of God and how you can follow God’s call. The premise of Spiritual Direction is that God is present and active in your daily life in many (usually unnoticed) ways. When you slow down, begin to reflect, and take a long, loving look at what is happening around you, you become aware of the Presence of God. The more you know yourself the more you know God; the more you know God, the more you know yourself. Intimacy with God leads naturally into transformation, healing, action, direction, and purpose.
A spiritual director focuses their attention on your spiritual experience and points of self-discovery, to explore with you God’s will and purpose in your life. They will try not to analyze or fix you, even though the conversation may involve deep personal sharing and exploration of personal crisis and suffering. Spiritual direction is a conversation of the heart. It uses all our human faculties (intuition, emotion, imagination, senses, and intellect) to discern God’s presence and will for you, as you understand it.
How can you benefit?
Whether you seek a Spiritual Director during a specific season or engage with one as part of your regular spiritual practices, direction is beneficial in many ways. It provides a confidential setting, allowing you to explore the fundamental issues of your spiritual life with someone safe and non-judgmental. The Director is not there to tell you what you should do or be. Rather, they help create a sacred space to facilitate an ongoing conversation between you and God. A Director provides another set of listening ears for God's words and work in your life.
Spiritual direction can connect you to:
- An increased awareness of God’s presence
- Someone to stand in faith for you when you are spiritually exhausted or feeling defeated
- Spiritual growth and development
- Someone to hold you before God in your struggles without offering quick fixes or simple solutions
- An intentional space in your life to hear from God
- Someone who reminds you of what is real: God’s love, promises, and presence through all of life’s circumstances, the good and the bad
- Greater appreciation of God, others and self
- Someone who helps you hear God for yourself and allows you to move at your own pace
- Someone who celebrates and notices your growth and courage
- Hospitality, silence, undivided attention, space for rest and cleansing
- Someone who values and honors the sacred privilege of sitting with others in their struggles or pain
What is Spiritual Direction
Spiritual companions support people on their spiritual journeys through life. In spiritual companionship, a trained or experienced companion uses deep listening to encourage the unfurling of your spiritual story. Through this relationship, the person seeking companionship is empowered to explore a more profound experience of God, Allah, Tao, the Universe, or however you may refer to the ground of all being and, simultaneously, enjoy a more profound experience of your own life.