Introduction To Spiritual Direction
What it is and is not
Putting on the character of Christ is not a one-person job.
This kind of project requires the help of many others – pastors, small group leaders, prayer warriors, mentors, and friends. For this character project to succeed, we are going to need help; help in “navigating our way with Jesus.” This is where a Spiritual Director can make a difference. A spiritual director is not a life coach, counselor, or personal spiritual trainer. A spiritual director, whose role dates back centuries, is a guide along the spiritual journey.
It is not the job of the spiritual director to make the directee do anything. Instead, they are there to work alongside the Holy Spirit, who is already working, to bring the individual in line with God in spirit, mind, and body.
If a person desires greater humility in their life, a spiritual director can help them understand their place in God’s bigger world. If a person desires patience, a spiritual director can remind them of Christ’s patience with his children. If a person is experiencing great difficulties, a spiritual director can help them gain perspective and spiritual clarity within their circumstances. God has a desire for his people to flourish but the obstacles involved to make that happen could be great. A spiritual director, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, can point people to ways to remove those obstacles.
Spiritual direction goes beyond spiritual guidance and sharing spiritual wisdom or even a desire to “help people.” As Bonhoeffer puts it, "Human love is directed to the other person for his own sake, spiritual love loves him for Christ’s sake." A spiritual director sees their work with an individual as loving them for Christ’s sake. To love the directee for Christ’s sake means the director’s vision for the individual is to have them live their life to the fullest and to achieve the purposes that Christ has for the individual. The director does not push and pull the individual to these purposes but helps facilitate alignment between the Holy Spirit and the individual through listening, asking questions, and prayer.
As a part of my doctoral studies, I will be training to become a spiritual director. I have been under spiritual direction myself and have received great benefit and enrichment. I hope to soon share my training to bring people to a flourishing life full of God’s grace and guiding will.