Photo Credit: Suzanne Fells
Have you ever paused to consider how your spiritual practice influences the way you work, lead or relate to others? It was a question I was recently invited to think about and share my thoughts on. For me, this has become an ever-deepening journey. I have come to realise that my faith is not something separate from my work. It lives and breathes through how I listen, how I teach, how I serve and how I connect with others.
Seeing Others as God Sees Them
I believe that every person we meet is a person of potential. They are not defined by what they can do for us but by who they are in God’s eyes. Psalm 139 reminds us, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
This truth shapes how I live, lead and teach. It reminds me that our role as leaders, mentors and parents is not to extract value from people but to add value to their lives.
“Each person is fearfully and wonderfully made. Our role as leaders is not to extract value from people, but to add value to their lives.”
The Heart of Servant Leadership
This is the essence of servant leadership, modelled by Jesus Himself. He saw people deeply, listened to their hearts, recognised their gifts and helped them step into the fullness of who they were created to be. When I think about my work as a coach, teacher and facilitator as a thinking environment, I realise it is this same spirit of service that underpins everything I do. My calling is to listen first, create spaces where others feel safe enough to think for themselves, to discover their truth and to flourish, becoming who they are meant to be.
Listening as a Spiritual Discipline
Listening, for me, is more than a skill. It is a spiritual discipline, an act of love and a reflection of God’s character. God is a listening God. As Romans 8:26 reminds us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
When we listen to others with patience, understanding and a genuine desire to help them grow, we mirror God’s love. We become vessels through which His compassion can be felt. Listening transforms relationships. It builds trust, inspires confidence and invites others to step into their God-given potential. I have come to see that listening is sacred work.
“When I listen deeply, I am practising my faith. Listening is not simply a skill; it is a sacred act of love.”
Faith in Action
My spiritual practice is brought to life through my work. Teaching God’s way of being with others, being of service and offering encouragement and hope are all expressions of faith in action. It is not always about doing things for others, but about helping them do things for themselves, believing that God’s Spirit is already at work within them.
The Sacredness of Connection
Connection is also central to my faith. When I connect deeply with another person, when I listen with full attention, uphold their dignity and see them as God sees them, I sense something sacred. It feels like holy ground, where two souls meet in authenticity and grace. In these moments, I experience the mystery of God’s presence at work through human encounter.
Moments of Grace
There have been defining moments in my life when, looking back, I can see how God was holding me. He filled me with courage, shone light in dark places and loved me when I did not feel worthy of love. These experiences deepened my faith and shaped how I show up for others. They taught me that faith is not about certainty but about trust. Trust that God is with us, always guiding, always listening.
Faith Beyond What We Can See
I am reminded of a story shared on social media about twins in the womb. One says, “I cannot believe there is life after delivery. We are warm and cared for here, why would there be more?” The other replies, “Life after delivery is wonderful. We will meet our mother who has given us all we need to live fully beyond this place.” I find this image a beautiful metaphor for faith and for the work I do. It reminds me that there is always more beyond what we can see, both in others and in ourselves. Growth, transformation and purpose await when we trust in the unseen.
A Call to Reflect
Each time I sit beside someone and listen to their thinking unfold, I am reminded that this is holy work. It is the work of love, of faith in action, of helping others grow into who God created them to be.
As I continue this journey, I find my faith strengthened and stretched in new ways through every conversation, every moment of stillness and every encounter that calls me to listen more deeply.
So I invite you to reflect. How does your spiritual practice influence your work? In what ways do you live out your faith through the way you lead, listen and serve others?
If this blog resonates with you and think others would benefit, please share it. Equally if you’d like to explore more ways in how your spiritual practice influences your work, simply connect with me on LinkedIn or email me to explore further.
