LIVING
SPIRITUAL LIFE DEVELOPEMENT
Spiritual Direction 101
by JOANNA POLAREK
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” —JOHN 4:10
In John chapter 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and engages her in a conversation. His questions prompt her desire to be replenished with a relationship with God, the Living Water. As she contemplates what is “truly good,” she realizes that this connection is the start to knowing Christ. This story is one example in the Bible where a spiritual relationship guides someone to explore, engage, and rest in the presence of God. Perhaps you are familiar with intentional partner relationships such as pastoral care, counseling or accountability. But, are you familiar with spiritual direction? Author Richard Foster says, “Spiritual direction involves a process through which one person helps another person understand what God is doing and saying.” This is much like Jesus and the Samaritan woman as He helped her process what God was doing in her life. At this point you may be asking, “what is spiritual direction?” Spiritual direction is a sacred relationship with a trained spiritual director. Through training and discernment to listen to God, the director accompanies the individual, known as the directee, as he or she navigates their experience and relationship with God. The purpose is to guide a
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person as they listen and connect their true self with what God is stirring from within them. When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman a direct question, she responded with more questions to seek clarity. Jesus guided her thinking about the answer. As she reflected, she discovered that she knew the answers all along. How a spiritual direction session works A spiritual direction session is an intentional and sacred time of meeting in the presence of God in a quiet space, typically for an hour, once a month. Jesus’ meeting with the woman at the well also created a sacred space. The relationship is fostered by noticing, attending, recognizing, growing, and learning how to receive God’s voice, union, and experience in the life of the directee. Spiritual direction is not counseling. It is an experience of being present, listening, praying, and being guided by God. Like counseling, the relationship is confidential, attentive, and helps to explore emotions and responses. In direction, it is with God working in the life of the directee. Spiritual direction is for already mature
Volume 7 Number 1, 2021
