Spiritual Pathways

by Joy McAuley

How many personality type assessments are you familiar with? Have those assessments been helpful in understanding how you respond, operate and think? What kind of personal or professional growth has come from learning more about how you are made? The Birkman, Myers-Briggs, Strengths Finder, Enneagram, to name a few, show us that humans are made very differently from each other. We can learn to see how those differences impact our relationships with family, friends and coworkers, but these differences also influence how we relate to God. Our worship of God is affected by how we are made. Some of us feel deep connection with God in nature. Some of us when we study the Word deeply. Others of us when we are joining in a righteous cause or engaging our senses or our creativity.  

While time in the word, prayer, and community, are essential for all believers, how we do that can look very different. The term “spiritual pathway” can be used to describe the way that you connect with God most naturally. Different authors have used different terms and categories (spiritual style, spiritual temperament) but regardless of definitions or terms, we can all benefit from exploring the unique ways God has designed our souls to worship Him and let that knowledge inform how we spend time with him. Learning your spiritual pathway can also help you avoid being stuck in a rut in your relationship with God.   

Common categories for spiritual pathways are contemplation, intellect, worship, service, nature, relational, and activism. Choose one of the resources below to learn more about preferred spiritual pathways.  

Biblical examples: Abraham built alters; David wrote songs and danced before the Lord; Jesus went out into nature to pray.  

For more on Spiritual Pathways:  

App: Soul Connection created by GEM’s Edot Ministries 

Book: Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas, Intro video on book study  

A Sacred Pathways Assessment to Discover your Pathway of Connecting with God

Or if you want to talk to someone about what it might look like to connect with God in new ways, ask one of the people on our team page about a spiritual life consultation.