FAQ #1: Is Spiritual Direction Right for Me?
If you’re reading this, you likely are already curious about spiritual direction and if it’s something that’s right for you. Making that determination begins with the basic question “What is it I’m seeking? What lies at the heart of what has leads me to consider finding a spiritual director?
Some come because they desperately want a friend to talk to about everything going on in their life. And a director certainly can listen to all that life has to offer in the context of listening to the movement and invitations of the Spirit in your life. But ask yourself if what you really need is a director or a close mutual friendship that leads to sharing meals, family celebrations, shopping trips, or going to a movie.
Discerning what it is that your life is really asking for is important before engaging a spiritual director.
Or maybe you are trying to work out some difficult situations or relationships. What you may be looking for is a therapist to help you develop coping tools or resolution to problems. This is a very different skill set than what a spiritual director has to offer. Again, these issues or relationships aren’t excluded from the conversation with a spiritual director, but a director will bring a different perspective related to soul-work, to how God meets you in these circumstances, to the Divine invitations to receive grace in the midst of the discomfort.
So, who are the ones who find spiritual direction a good fit? Anyone who is curious about the dynamics of their spiritual life, of how they know and perceive God. They may be wondering if there is more to faith than what they were taught as a child. They are interested in spiritual growth, changes in their faith practice, life transitions that bring new perspectives. These individuals are mindfully aware and looking for the Divine in the ordinary moments of life. They are serious about discerning the voice of God in the midst of the other voices that compete for attention. And they may be wondering as they wander through a stretch of soul-barrenness if there is hope, if there is a God.
A spiritual director isn’t there to convince a directee of any specific truth, but to help them listen to the inner voice of their own God-given wisdom and the Spirit counsel that always calls us home.
Questions For Spiritual Direction:
What lies at the heart of looking for a spiritual companion in my life? What difference might it make to my everyday life if I had such a soul-companion?
In what ways am I thirsty for God’s nurture? W
hat are the areas of my life where I see growth, or change?
Where do I feel like I’m stuck or that something is dying and needing to be release?
