What is Spiritual Direction?
A spiritual discipline of companionship along the journey of faith.
Though a very ancient practice, Spiritual Direction is only recently becoming part of the modern Church’s vocabulary—at least for the Protestant tradition.
The name can be somewhat misleading because the word “direction” indicates a sense of being managed or moved in a particular direction. However, Spiritual Direction is far more comparable to a long, peaceful stroll rather than an intentional or pre-planned journey to a destination.
Spiritual Direction is for those who want to grow in their faith and who want a companion specifically trained to help them discern where God is at work in their life.
To dispel any preconceived notions about what Spiritual Direction is and is not, here is a list of what you can expect from a meeting with a Spiritual Director and what it is not.
What Spiritual Direction IS:
Space for you to take care of your soul
A place that is safe for questions of faith
A safe place to bring all of yourself
A place where frustrations are ok
An opportunity to rest from performance
A place to ask for and receive what your soul needs
A space to be growing and to grow
A space to receive love
What Spiritual Direction is NOT:
A place where you are going to be judged
A place where you are going to be corrected
A place of high expectations
A place to put on a “false self”
A place to rehearse spiritual abuse
A place where you will need to work harder
A place where you have to be perfect
A place where you have to have all the answers
There isn’t much required when it comes to meeting with a Spiritual Director. Mostly, what you need to bring is pretty basic:
A desire to meet with God
A desire to let God meet with you
A willingness to be honest
An openness to receive love
There are many different traditions of spiritual direction and many different personalities when it comes to spiritual directors (it’s okay to shop around for a spiritual director, by the way). But elements you may find in most spiritual direction sessions are:
Times of silence
Times of meditation
Exploratory questions from your Spiritual Director
Space for you to share and process experiences with God
Compassion from your Spiritual Director
If you’re curious, most Spiritual Directors allow you to try out a session (often for free) to see if it feels like a good fit. For many, it’s a new experience—sometimes intimidating—but often refreshing for the soul and beneficial to their journey with God.
For resources to help you find a Spiritual Director check out the links below:
