Is spiritual formation rooted in New Age?

from the old testament

• God intended His people to be shaped—formed spiritually—by His Word. Israel was commanded to teach God’s words continually, talk about them throughout daily life, and impress them on their children (Deuteronomy 6:4–9). Spiritual growth was meant to happen through exposure to and obedience to God’s truth.
  
• Meditation is a spiritual practice in spiritual formation, but we know it can be biblical or New Age-y. Meditation is biblical when it focuses on God’s Word. Psalm 1 describes the blessed person as one who meditates on the law of the Lord “day and night” (Psalm 1:1–3). Biblical meditation is not about emptying the mind or discovering hidden spiritual power within yourself; it is about thoughtfully dwelling on what God has revealed.
• God calls His people to transformation of character. Proverbs calls people to pursue wisdom, fear the Lord, guard their hearts, and allow God’s instruction to shape how they live (Proverbs 1:7; 4:20–27).
• Israel was warned against adopting spiritual practices from surrounding cultures. God specifically prohibited practices such as divination, sorcery, witchcraft, mediums, and attempts to communicate with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:9–14). This provides an important biblical principle: spiritual practices should not be accepted simply because they seem meaningful or produce a spiritual experience. They should be practiced when they align with God's Word. 
  
• The Old Testament points people toward God rather than inward spiritual discovery (a tenet of New Age thinking). “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is about recognizing and trusting God—not discovering one's own divine nature.

from the new testament

• Spiritual formation happens as we abide in God. Jesus told His disciples to abide in Him and bear fruit (John 15:1–11). Christian spiritual formation, therefore, is about becoming increasingly like Christ through relationship with Him.
  
• Paul describes transformation as God's work that changes how believers think and live. Romans 12:1–2 calls Christians not to conform to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. The goal isn't simply personal peace or spiritual awareness; it is discerning and living according to God's will. The aim of spiritual formation differs from New Age belief and practice.
  
• The Holy Spirit—not hidden spiritual techniques—is central to Christian transformation. Paul describes the Spirit producing qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control in believers (Galatians 5:22–23).
• We are called to set our minds on Christ and heavenly realities. Colossians 3:1–17 describes putting off the old self, putting on the new self, and allowing God's Word to dwell richly within us as believers. Biblical formation produces observable changes in character and conduct.
• The New Testament warns Christians to test spiritual ideas rather than accepting them because they sound spiritual. John tells them to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1), while Paul warns against teachings that seem spiritual but aren't rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:8, 18–23).

implications for today

Spiritual formation is so important. And truly, all of us are being shaped by something. Every day, something is forming us—what we watch, what we listen to, the people we follow, the ideas we believe, and the practices we make part of our lives. That is why Christians need to be intentional about what we allow to shape our spiritual lives. Practices like Scripture meditation, prayer, silence, solitude, fasting, confession, worship, and Sabbath have deep roots in the Bible and can help us slow down, listen to God, and make room for Him to work in us.

But not everything labeled “spiritual” is biblical—even those same practices can be twisted into New Age practices. Manifestation, speaking things into the universe, accessing divine energy within yourself, chakra or energy healing, crystals, astrology, and meditation practices intended to empty the mind or connect with an impersonal spiritual force come from beliefs that are fundamentally different from biblical Christianity. Meditation when practiced to empty oneself and search within is not biblical. Listening prayer can be unbiblical. Reading Scripture with Lectio Divina can be unbiblical. It isn't simply about whether something feels spiritual or helps us feel more peaceful; we need to ask whether it is actually drawing us toward God in a way consistent with what Scripture says.

The goal of spiritual formation is to let God transform us from the inside out so our thoughts, desires, character, and actions increasingly look like Jesus. New Age spirituality tells us to look within ourselves for the power to change. The gospel points us to God. We don't need to discover the divine within us—we need to let the God who made us transform us to become more like Christ.