Spiritual Friendship is the final of the 4 ways we can turn to others to receive help on our spiritual journey. It is also the most straightforward these spiritual relationships. Spiritual Friendship is exactly what it says it is. It is a friendship.
All our relationships with our pastors, counselors, and directors are one-way streets. We put forward what we need and our pastors, counselors, and directors help us find the next step forward. They help us with our spiritual journey, but we don't do the same back. That is fair and good because that is what those relationships are supposed to look like. And of course, your pastor/counselor/director will have their own pastor/counselor/director to go to, as well as supervisors and mentors to help them along the way.
Spiritual Friendship is different because we receive help and we give help. As with our other spiritual relationships, this is not something to enter into lightly. We are called to share with someone we trust as they share their own life trusting us as well.
True spiritual friendships are also very rare. Many times you will find yourself in one without even realizing. When you and your friend mutually find yourselves in this spiritual relationship, you will need to be intentional about the path forward.
Spiritual Friendship does not take the place of Pastoral Counseling, Pastoral Meetings, or Spiritual Direction. Instead, our spiritual friendships should compliment these other resources. With a mix of all four tools in our chest, we can better hear what God is saying to us as we strive forward in our lives and our spiritual journeys.