Life coaching for Christian living is a partnership between coach and client that helps clients identify goals, set priorities, develop strategies for achieving those goals, and evaluate progress toward those goals. It’s a great tool for helping people achieve success in all areas of their lives.
Fundamentally based on a relationship between the coach and client, life coaching for a Christian is slightly different because of the spiritual reality that it incorporates. This type of coaching involves the coach supporting and empowering the client to identify actions and activate steps they can take that move them further in growth in God and closer to their goals. In effect, it looks toward the clients’ vision or dream and develops a strategy to attain it.
Christian Coaching is focused on three things:
Life Coaching for a Christian is purpose-driven
Coaching requires a clear commitment to a specific dream or vision. Without such a focus, it is impossible for coaching to take place and there will a drift that defines the direction of the client’s journey. That means that has to be a willingness to define goals and determine steps that move a client forwards in the direction of those goals. A good coach will help a client clarify those goals and support and encourage them forward.
Coaching is present-orientated
Coaching focuses on the here and now, identifying opportunities for change that will shape the future. It doesn’t look back and focus on the past. This doesn’t mean the past or a client’s history is ignored, but it does mean that coaching will take into account the past to understand the present, but with the intention of ensuring steps are taken today that will change and influence the client’s future. In terms of dealing with the past, therapy or counselling would be more preferential tools.
Life Coaching for a Christian is a process
Healthy coaching is not simply one meeting where everything is fixed but seeks to develop breakthroughs and create momentum so they become part of a sustainable lifestyle. It lays down the first steps to success to kickstart a journey of growth by being a conduit for sanctification to take place.
Coaching should be a partnership between the coach, client, and Holy Spirit
The ultimate distinction between life coaching for a Christian and coaching generally is that God is involved. Scripture, prayer, and hearing from God should all be interweaved into the process. The coach is a combination of a sounding board to process with, and a mirror to measure progression, whilst operating with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The coach only supports the vision and goals of the client – they do not impose their dreams, ideas or agendas. In that sense, all accomplishment is the clients and the clients alone. This is also true for any excuses!
Coaching for Christian living is designed to bring focus and help achieve an individual’s spiritual growth, progress, and development. It takes both a client’s current situation and their envisioned future and helps plot a practical and progressive journey between them. It is an ongoing prayerful partnership between coach and client, with an evolving dialogue between the parties to help achieve desired targets. Because of this, the coaching process will be goal-orientated and should, therefore, be less likely to be a long-term endeavour.
Conclusion
Each of us is individual with our own stories, complexities and layers. Life coaching for a Christian brings a systematic process to a person to provide a framework for growth, yet has enough flexibility that is a truly personalised experience. Coaching allows each of us to focus on our own growth, and with two partners in the coach and the Holy Spirit, develop ourselves so we can be the best we can be.
This post is part of a series focusing on coaching. The series posts are:
- What Christian Life Coaching Is – And 5 Things It Isn’t
- 3 Focuses of Healthy Life Coaching for a Christian
- 5 Essentials For Clients of Christian Life Coaches
- 4 Keys To Unlocking Your Life Purpose As A Christian
To find out more about what coaching with me looks like and what you’ll benefit from, click here.
I love that you talked about how in this kind of counseling, the coach helps the client discover activities and initiate steps that will further their spiritual development and get them closer to their objectives. My mother wants my brother to receive a Spiritual Life Coach Session after coming out from rehab. I’m grateful for your advice about your article, I’ll keep in mind to share this with my mother so she can have other ideas about the benefits this session will do for my brother.