Rethinking Your Spiritual Path (revisited)

Part 3: What We're Looking For

Hi everybody! Thanks for being here. During the month of July I’ll be revisiting and revising a 4-part series from the Woodlands Archives. It’s called What We’re Looking For. I’ll be away on vacation, but I look forward to responding to your comments. New posts will continue in August. In the meantime, here’s….

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Part 3: Rethinking Your Spiritual Path

The woman sitting across from me was warm, sincere, and intelligent. She belonged to the church I was serving and had asked to meet so we could get to know each other better.

“I’m not exactly Christian,” she said.

When I asked her to say more, she explained that no single tradition—including Christianity—could claim the whole truth. “So I’ve woven together a spiritual path that fits who I am,” she said.

Her approach was thoughtful and intentional, shaped by a desire to live authentically. In many ways, she was doing what our culture encourages: finding a path that expresses the self within. But I’ve come to believe that the deepest authenticity is not something we construct—it’s something we receive.

At the risk of oversimplifying, let’s say she walks the path of self-expression. I walk the path of vocation. Here’s the difference:

• The Path of Self-Expression: We look inward to discover and accept who we are. We choose a spiritual path that helps us express and affirm that inner identity.

• The Path of Vocation: We respond to a voice beyond us. A call draws us forward, and by walking that path, we become who we truly are.

The letter to the Colossians urges us to walk the path of vocation:

“As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him.” (Colossians 2:6)

Just as Jesus once called the first disciples to follow him, he now calls each of us. The way of Jesus is not something we choose to validate who we already are. It’s a life we’re invited into—a way that reshapes us, that forms us into who we’re meant to be.

At the same time, Colossians warns that the path of self-expression can become a dead end:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

The Colossians were cobbling together a spiritual mix from various sources. It was a kind of religious buffet: a little of this, a little of that—whatever seemed helpful, appealing, or empowering.

But when we pull isolated practices or ideas out of their original context, we cut them off from the deep roots that gave them life. What we’re left with may look spiritual, but it often lacks the power to sustain real transformation. We end up wading in shallow water.

What’s more, when we select only what aligns with our preferences, we risk turning our spiritual life into a mirror of our own desires. A faithful spiritual path doesn’t just affirm us—it confronts us. It names our limits. It surfaces our sin. And in doing so, it opens us to grace. That’s how growth happens. That’s how we become more than we already are.

Those of us who walk the path of vocation believe that we discover our true selves not by curating a spiritual identity, but by answering the call of the One who already knows us and loves us.

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Spiritual Practice: The Next Step

Set aside a few quiet minutes each day this week.

Ask yourself:

What am I being drawn toward?

What am I feeling compelled to do?

Which of these leads toward greater love, truth, or faithfulness?

Don’t worry about the whole journey. Simply notice the difference and take one small step in the direction of what is calling you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you call us to follow you. Quiet the voices of fear, pride, and distraction within me. Help me to recognize your invitation, trust your guidance, and take the next faithful step. Amen.

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That’s it for now friends. Next week, look for Part 4: “Rethinking Your Spiritual Path.” Until then, be well and God bless.

Jake