Spiritual Direction: A Ministry for Spiritual Formation
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”—Romans 8:29 (ESV)
At OakHaven, one of the services we offer is spiritual direction. In a sense, we like to think of it as being proactive in making space for soul care. Our biblical counseling services tend to focus on an area of hardship or suffering. Spiritual direction is similar—a regular rhythm of meeting with someone to grow in your walk with Christ before crisis hits.
In spiritual direction, we work with leaders who are seeking the guidance of a wise and mature believer as you wrestle with decisions or seek to understand God’s leading in your life. Both invite others into your journey for wisdom, support, and accountability in growth.
Historically, spiritual direction is often connected with the Roman Catholic tradition, and its revival in modern days does reflect these roots. These streams can emphasize personal experiences and mystical practices that can drift away from the graces God gives through His word and the church.
We understand why many are drawn to more contemplative or mystical practices—there’s a real hunger to know God’s nearness. But we also believe that same longing is best met through the ordinary means of grace, where the Spirit truly forms Christ in us.
For that reason, we thought it might help to first look at what the real goal of spiritual direction is—spiritual formation—and how we at OakHaven approach this.
Some Definitions
Before we begin, let’s give a few brief definitions:
Spiritual formation, at its simplest, is the process of growing in Christlikeness (Rom. 8:29). In his book, A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation, Matthew Bingham describes it as the Spirit-enabled work that we actively cooperate in, using the means He has provided (namely Scripture, prayer, and meditation), as we grow into maturity in Christ.
Spiritual direction, is not itself a means of grace like the Word or sacraments, but a ministry that helps believers engage those means more intentionally. It reminds us that the process of sanctification is not a passive journey. It is one where we learn to notice what God is doing in our lives, in our work, and then responding in faith to His direction.
Perhaps, this is where it gets a little uncertain for some. It sounds rather subjective. Can’t we easily use this to justify our own agendas? How do we know what God is doing?
For that reason, spiritual direction is valuable. A spiritual director does something similar to a counselor—they listen and ask questions, helping you sort through what you’re noticing in light of Scripture and prayer. It is inviting other trusted people to help us grow in our walk with God.
We hope this doesn’t sound too strange. We know it is wise to invite others the counsel of others. Proverbs speaks to this repeatedly, describing wisdom as seeking counsel for our next steps (Prov. 11:14, 15:22, 19:20, 20:18, 24:6) as well as for correction and insight (Prov. 12:15, 13:10, 27:6). Two are better than one because we can pick each other up when we fall (Eccl. 4:9-10).
The New Testament likewise encourages faithful believers to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom (Col. 3:16), exhorting one another as a protectant against sin (Heb. 3:12-13). And when that inevitably happens, we come alongside to address that sin and bear our burdens (Gal. 6:1-2). Spiritual direction is inviting them into our journey towards sanctification.
In fact, in our experience as biblical counselors, we find the two often intermingle. Even if you enter counseling to deal with a difficult issue, there is some element of spiritual direction involved as we work through how to grow in new pathways of grace. Similarly, even if you start with spiritual direction, it is possible that we will encounter areas of sin and growth that need to be addressed as we grow in Christ.
The difference may just be the starting point. For some, it is the pain or struggle that brings them in to seek counseling. But for spiritual direction, it is the desire to become more like Christ—with the help and guidance of another—that starts the process. Both are concentrated seasons of growth for a period of time with the help of another.
The bottom line: Spiritual direction is one means of grace to help believers help one another in their spiritual formation.
OakHaven’s Approach
Because many modern approaches lean heavily on experience or emotion, we wanted to share how we see this ministry differently. There is good reason to be skeptical and wary. But at the same time, we are concerned that this may lead many to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
We all—ministry leaders included—are in the process of sanctification. The Spirit is at work in each of us, regardless of our role in the body of Christ, transforming us from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). The role we play does not sanctify us. Just because we spend a lot of time preparing messages or teach the Bible does not make us more holy than our brothers and sisters who work in secular fields. Our prayers are no more powerful than those of any believer; all of us stand on the same grace in Christ.
While sin does need to be addressed in our hearts so we can serve from a purer heart (counseling), there are other seasons of discernment as well. While counseling often begins in response to pain, spiritual direction often begins with possibility—with a desire to grow, discern, or realign one’s life with God’s purposes.
Maybe God has given you a sabbatical, a time to step back and take a fresh look at what’s happening in life and ministry. Sometimes it could be a season of returning to your identity in Christ that has slowly been slipping with the hard and long hours. Or you just feel “stuck” in your faith and are not sure why.
It is vital that we who serve the Lord in these positions also take time to work out our own salvation before the Lord. As you can see, it might include our work in the ministry but is not limited to it. As much as we need to deal with sin, we also have special gifts and callings that are uniquely our own that God wants to develop as well. These are part of the “good works” He calls us to do (Eph. 2:10).
Our Resources
Because much of what’s out there today in spiritual direction still reflects its Catholic roots, we want to offer an alternative that is suitable to those who feel uncomfortable with that yet know they still need help. Our hope is to come alongside you with resources that stay true to more Reformed convictions, while still offering personal guidance.
Our methods will, as Bingham describes in his book, focus on the “Reformation triangle” of Scripture, prayer, and meditation as we do our self-examination. In the context of relationship—not on our own—we hope that we can help leaders grow in their faith as they seek to mature in their ministry and service.
If you are interested in learning more, please head over to our Soul Care page to discern whether you are in need of counseling or spiritual direction. If you’d like to schedule a complementary discovery call, fill out the form on the page and we will contact you. This service is open to both men and women in ministry.