Spiritual Direction

Why Spiritual Direction?

As we journey through lives of faith, we inevitably encounter hardship, loss, failure, betrayal, and seasons we did not choose. Over time, these experiences can bring us to an uncomfortable realization: we are not in control, and our striving cannot change that.

Perhaps we profess to love the Lord, yet anger or anxiety remains just beneath the surface. Perhaps our theology is sound, but we are not experiencing the abundant life Jesus promises:

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… and you will find rest for your souls.” — Matthew 11:28–29

The peace that passes understanding can sound more aspirational than descriptive.

For me, Christian formation has been a journey from primarily believing in God's presence to increasingly experiencing it. This is not a departure from Scripture or sound theology. Scripture remains foundational: God is holy, sin is real, Christ offers forgiveness and grace, and God's Word informs how we live.

And Scripture also tells us that the Holy Spirit is alive and active within us and in the world around us. God has spoken to His people throughout history, and Jesus came to restore us to relationship with the living God.

So the question becomes: What would it look like to experience that relationship more deeply, here and now?

For me, the answer has been a growing desire for deeper intimacy with God amid the noise and trials of life.

What Is Spiritual Direction?

Christian Spiritual Direction is a partnership in learning to recognize and attend to God's presence and activity in our lives. It does not abandon biblical truth or the rigor of faith. Rather, it creates intentional space for silence, contemplation, reflection, and listening to the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Direction is less about problem-solving and goal-setting and more about paying attention to what God may already be doing and asking: Are we making space to hear Him?

A Spiritual Director walks alongside a Directee on this journey, helping create space to notice, listen, reflect, and discern God's presence and activity.

Who Is Spiritual Direction For?

Christian Spiritual Direction is for anyone who desires a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord.

It is not discipleship, mentoring, theological training, or Christian counseling, though it can complement each of these. Rather, it is a shared journey of listening and discernment: the Director listens and asks questions, the Directee listens and responds, and together they seek to recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I know this journey personally. I am a doer. For much of my life, I was so focused on doing that I would have resisted any invitation to slow down, change my rhythms, or set aside my agenda. “Don't just do something, stand there” would have been deeply uncomfortable advice.

Of course, I am not opposed to doing. We are called to faith in action. However, I am in a different season. Busyness as a measure of fruitfulness has lost its luster. Productivity matters, but perhaps experiencing God matters more?
 

That question became especially significant after 20 years of global ministry and a difficult divorce that brought me to the brink of my own existence.
 

I would not wish those experiences on anyone, but I would not trade what God has done through them. The past six years have brought unparalleled growth, healing, and peace.

Wherever you are in your journey, if you are willing to quiet the noise, listen, and make room for God's presence and voice, Spiritual Direction may be for you.