If we are to practice a kind of discipleship that is truly tailored to the individual, we absolutely need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Where God is calling one person to focus their growth is not necessarily where he’s calling another to focus.
We can listen ourselves in prayer, we can listen alongside others, we can reflect on what we are hearing and check it against what other people are hearing. The goal is the same: to determine what God is calling YOU to do. You specifically, not someone else.
To listen to the Spirit well, we need to do that alongside others, not just in isolation. Change occurs in the context of relationships. We need others to provide feedback and challenge. We need others to be a sounding board for processing. We need others to help us listen to God about where he wants us to grow. We need others to help us find a strategy for growth that will work for us. Other people are part of our process in
- Assessing where we currently are in our walk of faith
- Providing feedback to us on our gifts and our growth areas
- Customizing a growth plan that will work for us specifically
- Supporting us in our growth
We need other people to listen as we talk and reflect back to us what they are hearing. They can help us see patterns in order to understand where God wants you to grow. It’s all part of discerning where the Spirit is speaking now and where he is leading us.