Just as physical exercise develops the body and academic study builds up the mind, so spiritual disciplines can strengthen the soul.
The practice of spiritual direction has been around since the time of the early church, using Christ Himself as a model of spiritual mentorship. While biblical counseling often begins by addressing presenting problems, spiritual direction looks at a person's whole journey of faith and endeavors to deepen faith through the practice of spiritual disciplines.
As believers encounter divine truth through the scriptures, prayer, fellowship, divine appointments, etc., the spiritual director listens with a discerning ear so that he can then ask questions that will help process the thoughts and emotions that these encounters can stir up. Spiritual directors also help people create plans for intentional growth in the faith. For example, one might spend an intensive period of time learning about the practice of prayer, scripture study, silence, or any number of other disciplines.
Spiritual direction is not meant for times of crisis intervention. It is, instead, a chosen process of preparation for all of life that comes through knowing God and His Word through the assistance of a spiritual director. |
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