Supremely, spiritual directors/mentors/pastors are persons who have a sense of being 'established' in God. Otherwise they are too dangerous to be allowed into the soul space of others.
Interpretation
True spiritual guides must have a deep connection to their faith to be safe mentors for others.
Richard Foster emphasizes the importance of spiritual directors, mentors, or pastors being firmly rooted in their faith in God. Those who lack this grounding can negatively impact others' spiritual journeys, making it crucial for such individuals to have a profound sense of their own spiritual establishment before guiding others.
In practice
In a sermon about choosing the right spiritual mentor, this quote highlights the essentials of being grounded in faith.
Pride is one of the socially acceptable sins in some corners of the evangelical culture. It's just straight-out ego gratification - how important I am; whether my name gets on the building or on the TV program or in the magazine article.
Leadership is an act of submission to God. To be a leader means listening to all kinds of people and situations. Out of that listening, we are hoping to discern the mind of God as best we can. This is the price of leadership - it's an act of sacrifice. So leadership is part and parcel of the work of submission to God.
If you are hungry to hear the voice of God, you will hear. To hear, you have to cut out all other things.
If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want him to talk to you, read your scriptures.
If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer.
You pray best when the mirror of your soul is empty of every image except the Image of the Invisible Father.
Prayer unites the soul to God.
Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. We must always remember this. The actual words matter less.
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