Volume 3 Issue 2
The Power of Transformational Coaching by
Lea Carawan p.2Discovering Your Identity and Worth from God’s Perspective by June Hunt p.10 Authentic Transformation Through Relationships by Dr. Todd W. Hall p.6
Spiritual Transformation in History and in Hearts Today by Emily Fraige and Dustin
InFocus by the International Christian Coaching Network (ICCI), a strategic initiative of Hope for the Heart (HFTH).
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The ICCI represents a group of Christian Life Coaches who are dedicated to serving others with compassion and professionalism by utilizing biblical principles that assist clients in setting individualized goals through a collaborative partnership that addresses the whole person. Its distinctives integrate principles of faith and the hope and truth found in God’s Word, while embodied with professional and ministerial excellence. The purposes and objectives of the ICCI are not intended to provide or be a substitute for advice, consultation or treatment with a duly licensed mental health practitioner. Its resources and services are intended to provide practical faith-based guidelines for balanced living and are not a replacement for medical advice. As such, consumers should seek professional services whenever necessary and/or appropriate.
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Welcome to this Issue of InFocus, ICCI’s premier publication. Several times each year, you will receive your next Issue as a valued Member, highlighting a unique theme related to the world of Christian Life Coaching—to include in depth articles by leading voices in the field, as well as a selection of regular columnists who share their expertise. The theme for this Issue is SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION. Spiritual transformation involves a growing awareness of being drawn to God by God and seeing Him as our sole source of wisdom. It is the process by which God conforms us into the image of Christ. We discuss the impact of our beliefs on the transformational process, how to see ourselves through God’s eyes, integrating our skills and emotional intelligence with experience to promote change, and the important work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our authors for this Issue include Lea Carawan, Emily Fraige, Dustin Anderson, and June Hunt. Our columnists are Stephen Arterburn, Stephen D. Lentz, Esq., Dr. Rita Murray, and Dr. Eric Scalise. We hope you enjoy learning more about spiritual transformation in this Issue of InFocus
Have you ever tried to change, did all the right things, but still couldn’t sustain it? There are common reasons why we fail to see lasting change. It’s hard. It takes energy, and most of our energy is expended in the first few months after we make the decision to change. We try to change everything at once. Or we don’t create the structure around ourselves to support the change—which is why we may seek out a coach.
However, here is another crucial reason why we fail to change—we don’t change our beliefs!
Transformational Coaches help a person change the way they operate on a deeper level. In addition to examining behaviors, habits, and goals, they delve into deeply rooted beliefs—about God, themselves, how the world works, relationships, and expectations.
Transformational Coaches help people discover how their beliefs impact their behaviors and goals. They may help someone recognize God’s universal principles that govern our relationships and how
Everything about our lives, attitudes, motives, desires, and actions will be influenced by our view of God.
to realign themselves with God’s design. They can help people discover or clarify their purpose, reveal and replace erroneous beliefs and assumptions, realize their identity, or release their potential.
Whether you plan to focus on being a Transformational Coach, or another model of coaching, it’s incredibly helpful to understand the impact of belief in our lives. As part of God’s brilliant design, He endowed belief with exceptional power. It wields mountain-moving power in both the spiritual and physical realms of
creation. Belief is often a catalyst for what occurs in our spiritual and physical lives; it moves us to action and moves God to action.
My husband Rolfe and I are passionate about Transformational Coaching. We frequently help clients identify and align their beliefs with God’s Word, which gives us great confidence in the client’s success—whatever they may be trying to change.
In our Transformed Living Coaching Model, we identify and explain the Belief Principle: What we believe to be true, we do! When it comes to our
behavior, what we believe has the greatest impact on what we do: not what is reality or really true, but what we believe is true. We describe how these two beliefs have the greatest impact on nearly every decision we make—our belief about God and our belief about ourselves (or our identity). Knowing these two beliefs are essential in a person’s life, we are constantly listening for clues to reveal the beliefs that are influencing a client’s behavior.
Let’s take a moment to consider the first belief: our view of God. There has been a great deal written on this throughout the ages, and the overwhelming conclusion seems to be that everything about our lives, attitudes, motives, desires, and actions will be influenced by our view of God. Whether our problems are financial, moral, or emotional, and whether we are tempted by lust, worry, anger, or insecurity, our behavior reflects our beliefs about God. What we believe to be true about God’s character affects our friendships, our work and leisure activities, the things we read, the social media we view, and even the music we listen to.
In their book, America’s Four Gods, Froese and Bader describe their study which identified four primary ways people view God, (if they believe in God). They found that our responses to the following two questions predicted the substance of our worldview better than skin color, wealth, political affiliation, or where we were raised:
How do you view God? To what extent does God interact with the world?
• The Benevolent God—engaged, but doesn’t judge; simply loves
• The Critical or Just God—the judge, usually not in this lifetime, but definitely in the afterlife
• The Distant or Detached God—not engaged or judging, just started things, and is sitting back and watching
• The Authoritative or Balanced God—fully engaged and actively judging right and wrong in this life and the next
With our view of God playing such a significant role in our lives and decisions, we must examine how we view Him, as well as whether or not our view is true. While the beginning of our beliefs about God forms at an early age, the sources impacting its formation may or may not have been reliable. Our beliefs were influenced by what people have told us about God and ourselves, what we have seen and experienced, how we have interpreted life, and what we have said about ourselves. As an adult, it is incumbent on us to reexamine what we believe.
Often, our view of God grows and matures or sours through life’s experiences. If we are not intentional about ensuring our view of God lines up with who He really is, it can become more distorted, leading to many things including disappointment with God, unrelenting fear or anxiety, poor choices, and/ or unhealthy behavior.
Through personal experience, we have found that if you ask people directly about their view of God, nearly everyone who is a genuine Christian wants to answer that they have the balanced view of God. It often takes some time to uncover areas where they struggle to believe God is engaged and can be trusted with their life, marriage, children, future, and dreams. This is where a skilled Transformational Coach can help.
When we are deeply engaged in the drama and chaos of life, we tend to see our world and situation from a singular perspective, sometimes a distorted perspective. We may make judgments and decisions that are unhealthy.
If you are a coach, mentor, or friend, use some of these questions to help jump start a great conversation related to a person’s belief about God:
• You have mentioned your relationship with God. How do you view God?
• If a person viewed God that way, what behaviors would follow?
• What behaviors in your life inform you that you have this belief?
• If you needed to hear from God, what would you need to hear Him say?
• What does God say about Himself that can apply to your situation?
As you seek to understand your own view of God, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you. Make this your highest aim to truly know the God who is both benevolent and just. I encourage you to read
and meditate on verses that remind us of who God says He is, such as, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).
We train Transformed Living Coaches to help people examine the beliefs that impact behavior. We are not just interested in behavior change, but belief change. That is what will create lasting change. Even if you are not a trained coach, you can have a tremendous impact with a well-timed, open-ended question that causes others to feel heard and gives them room to experience a lasting spiritual transformation.
Lea Carawan, MA, is the founder of Transformed Living, a ministry that provides Bible-based resources and services designed to make disciples who love God, walk in freedom, and build life-giving relationships at home, work, and play. She and her husband, Rolfe, built a successful speaking, coaching, and consulting firm serving organizations ranging from Fortune 500 and high-tech companies to healthcare and nonprofits. For nearly 20 years, they helped leaders implement winning strategies that brought out the best in people. Lea was the cofounder and served as the Executive Director for the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation. For over a decade, she led the effort to equip and mobilize the largest network of federal and state elected leaders—nearly 100 sitting members of Congress and 900 state legislators—who are committed to standing for faith and implementing proactive strategies to advance religious freedom, prayer, and America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. She is a speaker, consultant, ordained minister, and multi-certified life, relationship, and spiritual formation coach and trainer. With a career spanning three decades, Lea has transitioned seamlessly between entrepreneurship, fashion, consulting, ministry, and motherhood. Lea has been a frequent speaker at women’s meetings, conferences, and marriage retreats around the world, including countries such as Brazil, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. Lea is currently on the Board of Reference for the International Christian Coaching Institute (ICCI) and a Certified Transformed Living Coach Trainer. See more at www.transformedliving.org.
Because we are relational beings, we develop unhealthy relational patterns to protect ourselves from the pain of disconnection and to create a pseudo-connection with the important people in our lives.
Adapted from The Connected Life: The Art and Science of Relational Spirituality
by Dr. Todd W. HallYou have likely felt socially and spiritually disconnected, lonely, and empty at times— maybe even a lot of the time. How, then, do you cultivate connection and meaning in the midst of increasing social isolation, loneliness, and fragmentation? Our sense of meaning comes from loving connections with God and others. We are born to connect, and we need to belong.
We receive love that ultimately stems from the beautiful love among the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, which has existed for all eternity. We then give that love out of gratitude for the love we have received; this becomes a virtuous circle. But sometimes we get stuck. There are forces at work in our culture, and in our hearts and habits, that disconnect us from ourselves and others. We may even tell ourselves that we don’t need others. It’s less painful to strive to make it on our own. But in our most honest moments we know that this is what we want and need: to know and be known, to love and be loved.
Numerous indicators of a connection crisis in the West have emerged in the past five decades, including the rise of divorce, the decline of emotional well-being, and the decrease in social connection. Although many factors have contributed to the crisis, an overarching ideology that blends individualism and materialism—what I called the American ideal—appears to have paved the way. This ideology manifests itself in two major ways in the social fabric of our lives: the breakdown of the family and the decline of community.
Because we are relational beings, we develop unhealthy relational patterns to protect ourselves from the pain of disconnection and to create a pseudo-connection with the important people in our lives. These patterns may reduce our emotional pain, but they come at great cost. They cut us off from our own emotional truth and create disordered beliefs about how relationships work. These beliefs then drive our relationships and hinder us from being able to connect authentically with others—including God. If we are relational beings, then we would expect the connection crisis in our society to infiltrate into our spirituality because Christian spirituality is all about relationships. Indeed, this is exactly what we see. We see general evidence of spiritual disconnection in research findings on spiritual growth and in research on the spiritual stories of young adults who came of age during increasing societal disconnection.
Sometimes our love falls short, despite our best intentions. How is it that we can think we’re loving someone when in reality we’re not actually helping and may even be hurting the other person? If love
doesn’t only depend on our intentions, then how do we know if we’re truly loving another person? And how do we grow in our love for God and others?
First, we have to have a clear understanding of what love is, beyond our culture’s thin view of romantic love. We need to understand the nature of love in order to grow in our ability to love, which is the ultimate goal of spiritual transformation. Second, we need to discern how to love others well in the particulars of any given relationship and situation, while taking into account our own attachment tendencies.
Love takes on many forms but has two basic components: desiring and pursuing the good of the other, and connection with the other. In order for our loving intentions to promote others’ wellbeing, we must understand their unique needs. An intrinsic part of promoting others’ well-being is fostering connection with others, which involves sharing life-affirming goals and emotional presence (shared intentions, empathy, and mutual closeness). The fullest expression of the good we seek for others is loving connection with God and sharing this loving connection with others.
We all face this question at different times in our lives. Do we give up striving for spiritual growth? Do we settle for just going through the motions?
Or do we continue striving to grow in our love for God and neighbor even when the journey is winding and confusing?
We have to cultivate deep growth through deliberate spiritual practices that create the internal and relational conditions for growth. Spiritual disciplines don’t directly affect our ability to love God and others. However, they affect our growth indirectly by facilitating the relational processes that bring about transformation.
Growing in our relational knowledge of how to connect and love requires a lot of practice. And it requires deliberate practice. We need to focus on specific outcomes that stretch us beyond our current relational knowledge and spiritual maturity level. We need to rely on methods taught in Scripture and developed by spiritual masters who are further down the road.
Rather than trying to cover an exhaustive list of spiritual practices, I want to briefly highlight three key, interrelated practices. These include Scripture, contemplative prayer/mindfulness, and spiritual community.
Engaging with Scripture is an act of faith that involves not just our head, but our heart as well. When we open its pages, we seek God. Immersing ourselves in Scripture is an act of humble dependence on God. It is to acknowledge before God our need for grace, mercy, healing, correction, insight, encouragement, and strength.
In the Christian tradition, mindful awareness is practiced as a type of prayer focused on one’s direct experience of God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Mindfulness seems to cultivate awareness through silence and solitude. In our contemporary world, we’re constantly bombarded with some kind of stimuli. If we don’t make an intentional effort, it’s easy to never be alone with our thoughts or with God. Silence and solitude help us focus our attention inward and allow new experiences to emerge.
For greater insights and a deeper investigation into connection, relational knowledge, attachments bonds, and much more, please check out Dr. Hall’s book: The Connected Life: The Art and Science of Relational Spirituality. (Click here to purchase.)
We all have a fundamental human need to belong to a community. As children of God, we know we belong to the body of Christ. But we also need to feel like we belong to God’s new family—to be part of the ultimate family that is centered around God’s love. We build spiritual community—a place of belonging—as we travel together along the journey with one another. Moreover, this side of heaven, we will always be transforming our church communities, so they increasingly reflect God and provide a contrastsociety that shines God’s light to the world.
As image bearers, we are born to connect. Relationships are where we find the meaning that defines our lives. It is deep, intimate, loving connections, bearing the mark of our triune God, that transform and rewire our souls. The core of this transformation has to do with love, as we reflect our triune God who is love.
Todd Hall, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist whose mission is to empower Christian leaders to elevate their relational impact and make their greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God. He is a Professor of Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, and serves as a Faculty Affiliate in the Harvard Human Flourishing Program. Dr. Hall teaches in areas such as attachment theory, psychodynamic psychotherapy, positive psychology, and the integration of psychology and theology. His research explores relational approaches to spirituality, virtue, and leadership. An award-winning author and editor, Dr. Hall has contributed to seven books on topics such as spiritual formation, relational spirituality, motivation, and organizational culture. His latest books, Relational Spirituality and The Connected Life, articulate a comprehensive relational spirituality paradigm for transformation and highlight his belief in the transformative power of relationships. Dr. Hall has developed several widely used spiritual assessments and co-developed the Motivation Code assessment and the Flourishing Assessment, tools that guide individuals and organizations toward holistic growth and wellbeing. Dr. Hall also maintains both a coaching and psychotherapy practice, focusing on psychodynamic therapy with adults. See more at www.drtoddhall.com.
Jesus paid the ultimate price for you when He came to the earth as a man, willingly died on the cross, and paid the penalty for your sins. Without a doubt, you have great worth in His eyes!
Adapted from Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes by
June HuntCan you imagine what it would be like to be married, to exchange vows, and then to have the groom suddenly go missing? Such is the true case of Sean and Amy McNulty.
After they were joined together as one, they drove to the airport, full of excitement about their honeymoon. Before boarding the plane, Sean realizes: Oh no . . . my wallet! Racing to return to the car, he yells, “I’ll be back, honey—right back!” Amy waits, and waits, and waits . . . until the plane leaves. She’s frantic now. After a thorough search of the airport and all known familiar spots, her new groom seems to have vanished!
Sean is found three days later—wandering . . . disoriented . . . bug-bitten from head to toe. He doesn’t know his beloved Amy. He doesn’t know his own mother. He has amnesia—he doesn’t know his identity.
What would it be like not to know your own identity—to have spiritual amnesia? If you don’t know who you are, you cannot experience deep inner peace and complete contentment—for instead, confusion reigns. Sadly, this is how many people live today—they simply don’t know who they are. But you—and the people you coach, counsel, or disciple—do not have to live this way. The key is to learn to see yourself through God’s eyes.
Consider this—Jesus paid the ultimate price for you when He came to the earth as a man, willingly died on the cross, and paid the penalty for your sins. Jesus Christ as God did not have to redeem you. But He loves you so much—you are so valuable to Him—He willingly paid the highest price. Without a doubt, you have great worth in His eyes!
Have you ever asked yourself, Who am I? Where am I going? Do you understand your identity and your God-given worth? How essential to have accurate answers to these questions so that you can be what God created you to be and do what God created you to do.
Your identity ultimately determines your worth. If I were to enter a bank, step up to a teller, and say, “May I have $100?” the teller would ask for my account number or name. If I didn’t know who I was, I could not provide this information. And if I continued to request money, I would receive
nothing but directions to the front door. However, knowing there are resources in my name— regardless of who placed them there—as long as I provide the teller with my name and account number, I can quickly receive the cash requested. My identity definitely determines my worth and ability to draw upon that reserve.
Some time ago I planned to fly from Dallas, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia. When I began to board the plane, I was told they had started assigning seats for standby passengers and I should have checked in at the main desk. My seat might have been given to someone else. My heart raced as I approached the agent at the desk and handed him my ticket. Would I be allowed to leave? A silent eternity passed as he scanned a computer screen for the official flight passenger list. He checked for my name, saw it, and said with a smile, “Yes, you are on this flight. You may board the plane.” Indeed, my identity was directly linked to the destination of that plane.
Much more critical is our identity in terms of ultimate worth and eternal destination. The Bible states there are two different “identities” or “families” for all human beings: those who are in Adam, and those who are in Christ: “Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21–22). The question is this: To which of these two families do you belong?
Our biological families determine our physical characteristics. When we were born into the family of Adam, we inherited characteristics from his family line. Since Adam made the choice in the Garden of Eden not to obey God, he and all his descendants are “identified” with sin (this is their identity). This heart of independence is the basic nature we have all inherited. Psalm 51:5 says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Consequently, our natural inclination is to sin because we are born of Adam’s family.
Since God made it possible, however, for us to change families, we are able to receive a new identity—a new nature! You can be “adopted” into the family of Christ and become a child of God. Then you lose your identity in Adam and receive your identity in Christ. As a result, you receive your new characteristics. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Your old sin nature is supernaturally changed for a new divine nature (2 Peter 1:3–4). A consequence of this new identity is a new worth based on the abundant resources placed into your personal account. A second consequence is a new destination throughout eternity, where you will forever be secure in the presence of God.
The Bible says, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Because most people think being holy is synonymous with being sinless, they think, Who could possibly be holy? It’s unattainable . . . unimaginable!
Click here to purchase June Hunt’s 31-day devotional, Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.
When you are set apart by God, holiness is natural. With Christ in you, you are set apart to grow and become like Him. As John explains, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him” (1 John 3:9). It is natural for the Lord not to sin. Therefore, with God’s seed in you, it becomes increasingly natural for you not to sin. What seems impossible becomes possible. You are set apart from sin and set apart to God. You will not become instantly sinless, yet you will sin less . . . and less . . . and less.
As you see yourself through God’s eyes and with His presence inside you, He will produce the impossible through you. Why settle for anything less?
Conclusion
Consider reading our 31-day interactive devotional, Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes. By meditating daily on these scriptures, you will begin to see your worth. As you train your mind to focus on the truth about yourself, your emotions will “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). These Scripture passages will begin to saturate your heart, transform your thinking, and help develop the true picture of who you are . . . from God’s point of view, the true point of view. My prayer is that as you meet with God, you will take to heart His precious perspective of you. I pray that your emotions will be steadied, and your heart will be secured because you will have begun to see yourself through God’s eyes.
June Hunt, MA, is the Founder and Chief Servant Officer of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide counseling and caregiving ministry that offers Biblical hope and practical help in more than 60 countries and 36 languages. The Keys for Living Library provides the foundation for the ministry’s award-winning radio program, Hope in the Night, a live, one-hour, call-in counseling program. Her passion to help others through Biblical counsel is fueled by her joy in seeing a life changed through Christ. As an accomplished author, speaker, and musician, June has been a guest on various national television and radio programs, including the NBC Today show. She has toured overseas with the USO and has been a guest soloist with the Billy Graham Crusades. See more at www.junehunt.org.
Knowing, treasuring, and sharing God’s Word is what sets you apart as a Christian Life Coach.
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)
Coaches help people set and achieve goals. What distinguishes Christian Life Coaches is the way they help their clients “in setting and achieving individualized Christ-centered goals through a dynamic and collaborative partnership that addresses the whole person” (emphasis added). [1] They assist their clients in the pursuit of goals aligned with biblical principles and focused on Christlikeness. As a result of attaining these goals, Christian Life Coaches should bear witness to spiritual transformation in the lives of their clients.
Before exploring what spiritual transformation looks like, let’s define our terms.
Definitions
The Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary provides an excellent definition of a Christian’s transformation: “The process by which God forms Christ’s character in believers by the ministry of the Spirit, in the context of community, and in accordance with biblical standards. This
process involves the transformation of the whole person in thoughts, behaviors, and styles of relating with God and others.”[2]
There are several points worth highlighting in this definition:
1. Spiritual transformation is a process.
2. This process is generated by God.
3. This process forms believers’ character into Christ’s character—the ultimate goal.
4. This process requires the work of the Holy Spirit and the support of community.
5. This process transforms the whole person— thoughts, behaviors, and relationships.
On an individual scale, the process of spiritual transformation can take place in the context of coaching partnerships, counseling sessions, mentoring relationships, small group Bible studies, and more. On a larger, societal scale, spiritual transformation can take place in two major ways: revival and spiritual awakening.
These two terms are commonly used interchangeably, yet they can be distinguished from one another. Revival refers to the spiritual renewal of the Church—followers of Christ around the world. Believers are revived in their passion for the faith when they rediscover their “first love” (Revelation 2:4 NASB 1995). Spiritual awakening refers to the waking up of unbelievers who are being drawn to Christianity and a relationship with God. Either process can lead to the other. Believers can start living with renewed passion for Christ, which attracts the attention of unbelievers who then find salvation. On the other hand, unbelievers can start getting saved in droves, which prompts the church to repent of her hypocrisy or apathy and to return to Christlike living.
There have been some recent rumblings of a potential revival in America. What occurred on Asbury University’s campus—and then spilled over to an arena and other universities—has been called a revival by some, an outpouring by others. Asbury students were worshipping and praying together after a chapel service on February 8. The worship and prayer continued for several days. What began with 20 students eventually filled the 1,500 seats in the auditorium with faculty, staff, and outsiders traveling to the school, eager to participate. Professor Thomas Lyons writes, “Crowds have congregated in auditoriums and chapels elsewhere in town, singing and praying and reading the Bible . . . . A sense of awe prevails.”[3]
Could another revival be on the horizon?
American history provides us with several examples of both revivals and spiritual awakenings. The Great Awakening began in the 1730s when small colonial churches experienced wave after wave of growth and renewed devotion to the Lord as people were saved and joined the church. Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), a pivotal pastor and theologian in this movement, preached and wrote about “the utter dependence of sinful humanity on God for salvation.”[4] Although “his sermons were not particularly emotive,”[5] the responses of his congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts, were quite emotional as people felt convicted of their sin. They turned to the Lord to receive His forgiveness, mercy, and grace; and lives were radically changed. This increased enthusiasm spread to other towns and villages, especially through the fervent preaching of George Whitefield (1714–1770).
The Second Great Awakening is considered “the most influential revival” in America.[6] It was marked by large, intense “camp meetings” that extended over several days and by the formation
of reforming organizations created to support missions, minister to alcoholics and the homeless, abolish slavery, get Bibles into every home, and much more.[7] The emphasis of this movement was not on church tradition or creeds, but rather on the ability of the individual to comprehend Scripture. Although this had the potential to lead to problematic teaching and theological views, the awakening succeeded in transforming the spiritual landscape of nearly the entire country.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, we experienced the Jesus movement, where young Americans— many were hippies—were being saved by the thousands. Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship and an influential figure in the Jesus movement, summarizes the incredible change this way:
An April 8, 1966, Time magazine cover posed this question: “Is God Dead?” What a difference a few years can make, especially when God intervenes. Five years later, a 1971 issue of Time described a spiritual awakening: “Jesus is alive and well and living in the radiant spiritual fervor of a growing number of young Americans . . . . If any one mark clearly identifies them, it is their total belief in an awesome, supernatural Jesus Christ, not just a marvelous man who lived 2,000 years ago, but a living God.”[8]
People were looking for meaning in life and finding it in Jesus Christ. All these movements had several things in common: prayer, passion, a renewed focus on the Lord, and true life change.
How do these revivals and spiritual awakenings relate to coaching? Here are four areas to consider:
• Prayer
While we are waiting expectantly for God to move, the work we should be devoted to is prayer. Jonathan Edwards emphasized the need to pray continuously and to pray for revival.
[9] Are you praying for revival in your own heart? What about the hearts of those you coach, mentor, disciple, or lead?
We cannot expect to see life transformation happen if we are not praying and asking God for it. As James says, “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2 ESV).
• God’s Word
Spiritual transformation does not happen apart from the Word of God. The living, breathing, active Word of God is our daily bread (Matthew 4:4), our guide (Psalm 119:105), our treasure (Psalm 119:11), our foundation (Matthew 7:24), and our source of hope (Psalm 119:114). The Word teaches, guides, corrects, equips, and trains us (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Your role is to integrate God’s Word into your life and coaching, and point people to biblical truth. That might look like meditating on a truth, verse, or story; studying the Word together with those you coach or lead; sharing a passage; or pointing to a promise. Knowing, treasuring, and sharing God’s Word is what sets you apart as a Christian Life Coach.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). Right after giving this pertinent instruction, Moses said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).
Notice the order: The commandment must be on your heart first, then you teach it to your children and those around you. In other words, God works in you and then through you. You can only give to others what is deeply transformative in your own life. If you want to see spiritual revival and transformation, start with your own heart by asking God to do restorative work within you. Focus on your own growth and holiness before God.
If you are helping or coaching believers, pray for their revival. Encourage them to recommit to God’s Word and to prayer. Ask them challenging questions to point them toward becoming more like Christ. Help them uncover areas of apathy and hypocrisy in their lives, where their actions and attitudes do not align with their beliefs and with Scripture. Remind them that spiritual transformation is a process generated by God, and they must return to God to experience change.
If you are helping or coaching unbelievers, pray for their spiritual awakening. Model Christ’s love to them. Avoid using a judgmental tone as you communicate the uncompromising truth with love (Ephesians 4:15). Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, show them how God’s Word speaks to the issues they are facing. Ask God to stir in their hearts and give them a deep curiosity about spiritual things.
As we have seen, “revival happens when a few souls get on fire.”[10] As Paul encouraged Timothy, we ought to “ . . . fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). Are you on fire for God? How are you communicating that passion to those you are coaching or leading? Open your eyes and see how
God may already be moving in your life, church, and community. Be prepared for how God wants to use you to further His kingdom. Remember, the Lord is steadfastly committed to the work of spiritual transformation in your life and in the lives of those you serve.
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” (John 5:17)
[1] Empower 1.1, “What is Christian Life Coaching?” by Dr. Eric Scalise
[2] https://bible.org/seriespage/model-spiritualtransformation
[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/ asbury-kentucky-university-christian-revival/673176/
[4] A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark A. Noll, page 97
[5] The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez, page 288
[6] A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark A. Noll, page 166
[7] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/in-search-ofchristian-america
[8] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-isthe-difference-between-a-spiritual-awakening-and-a-revival. html
[9] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/revive-us-again#fn4
[10] https://bible.org/seriespage/3-when-revival-happens
Emily Fraige, MA, is a writer and editor with ICCI and Hope for the Heart. She helps to develop resources for the ICCI courses, contributes to quarterly publications, and edits a variety of materials for the ministry. Prior to working with ICCI, she served with the student ministry at Prestonwood Baptist Church where she helped to create devotionals and small-group curriculum for students. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Biola University and Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis and Linguistics from Dallas Theological Seminary. Emily is passionate about helping people interpret God’s Word accurately and apply it to their lives. She is married to Jorge, a pastor, and enjoys serving with him at their church.
Dustin Anderson, ThM, is the Lead Writer for ICCI and Hope for the Heart. He helps develop biblical resources and oversees the marketing and communications for the ministry. He earned his Master of Theology degree in Pastoral Theology & Practice from Dallas Theological Seminary. Dustin is passionate about God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s grace. Native to Wisconsin, Dustin loves cold weather, cooking, and spending time with his wife and three daughters.
Spiritual transformation is the stripping away of worldly indulgences and obsessions, and living into a different perspective where the soul takes precedence over habit, comfort, or states of despair.
S piritual transformation is a complex process with unique variables for each person desiring to live the deep and rich life God has called them to live with Him, and through Him. Anyone working through the 12 Steps, and experiencing each spiritual gain that can result from each step, will be in a spiritual transformation process unique to their struggle and unique to their relationship with God. Spiritual transformation is the stripping away of worldly indulgences and obsessions, and living
into a different perspective where the soul takes precedence over habit, comfort, or states of despair. It is not a new formula full of nebulous words and phrases, but a perilous journey of the soul where change moves us toward God.
The Perilous Journey of the Soul Life Recovery Coaches should clarify what “spiritual” means to their clients. To some, “spiritual” can refer to anyone who goes to church.
More commonly, the world believes “spiritual” can refer to anything that connects people with nature, being attuned to the universe and attending to chakras and auras and anything else people decide is part of their spiritual life. As a Life Recovery coach, it is quite different than all of that.
When you have the honor to assist in another person’s spiritual transformation, you are involved with the Holy Spirit in healing the broken condition between Creator and creation. Transformation results in the restoration of the soul back to God. When the humble heart and mind see the separation and sin and respond in repentance, the God who is rich in mercy and full of love and grace receives them.
We say Life Recovery is for all because all of us need a path to the heart of God. Rather than live according to the desires of the flesh, we need the assistance of the Holy Spirit in fostering a dependence on God and a connected walk in the presence of God based on truth, love, and faith. In the best form of Life Recovery, the world is stripped away and of no importance. The spiritually transformed person is wise and rooted in biblical truth, empowered by the Holy Spirit and sensitive to the spiritual condition and needs of others. A radical shift toward the way of Christ will occur and away from being like, thinking like, and acting like most people in today’s culture. It is a shift from the way of the world to the way of Christ.
A Life Recovery Coach challenging a false belief or a misunderstanding of surrender or restoration becomes a tool of God in changing the way a struggler thinks. God does what only God can, and the results are when people who are least likely to be transformed become miracles of sustained victory. This spiritual transformation is so powerful, the knowledge of God’s will for our lives is known, and God provides the power to carry it out.
Each person in recovery has a unique calling by God, and it is a grand accomplishment when a Life Recovery Coach helps someone find that calling and live into it. There is also a common calling for everyone—to accept Christ, live like Christ, and be like Christ in mind, emotion, and action. As Dr. Dave Stoop and I studied the 12 Steps, we saw new biblical recovery concepts and principles emerge. It became obvious to Dave and me that working the 12 Steps is not just the working of 12 distinct steps, checking off each one as it had been worked or accomplished. Instead, we found it to be the perilous journey of stripping away the world and allowing the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, the presence of God, and a daily, humble willingness in transforming the mind, the spirit, and the soul.
Dave and I spent years looking at what spiritual transformation consists of that is different than other spiritual events or processes, such as spiritual awakening or spiritual renewal. We came to believe spiritual transformation begins as a gradual awakening of the soul caused by a variety of negative or positive developments, such as loss of control, pain, struggle, the blessing of a baby, profound character growth, or marriage. Awareness of problems increases, and reality comes into focus due to a consequence or the intervention of others. A growing awareness of being drawn to God by God and a deeper need for God, a greater desire for God, or an agonizing longing for God, indicate a shift has occurred. It is the beginning of spiritual transformation.
As promised in the title, here are the simple phases that build on each other resulting in transformation:
1. Seeing and accepting that change is needed. When the spiritual awakening opens our eyes, we see who we are, what we have done, and the impact it has had on others. What was
easily denied now painfully comes into focus. Some see it, ignore it, or try harder to fix things. Trying harder makes trying harder, and the awakening can be shut down; when it is not, the world opens up.
2. Surrendering to God with the realization of an extreme limitation of power to change. The fortunate accept a powerlessness to fix or transform, and they make a profound leap from independent living to surrender to and cooperation with God. Surrender, though profound, is not spiritual transformation; it opens the door to it.
3. Confessing to God, self, and another with brutal honesty what has been hidden. Openness and honest confession end a lifetime of hiding, deception, and secrecy. Much of the burden is lifted. Confession is the first action taken with another person. It is not a onetime act, but a continuous practice with a sponsor, mentor, coach, pastor, or counselor.
4. Owning the damage done and taking responsibility to repair it and grow. Another crossroads: “Will I take responsibility and own what I have confessed or not?” This requires making things right with those I have hurt. Fear and unwillingness put an end to transformation
for some, yet for others it is the most profound act and evidence that transformation is occurring. Restitution and making amends come at a high price, yet produce a much richer reward.
5. Releasing anger and bitterness toward others by forgiving them and releasing shame by forgiving yourself. I must forgive myself for choices. I must forgive others for choices. In so doing, I release myself from my past and the past of others. When accomplished, there is a newfound freedom from shame and regret, as well as bitterness, resentment, and anger.
6. Transforming the damage into good for others. Reversing the intended evil on self and others by comforting and guiding others transforms all the negative toward a godly outcome.
7. Preserving spiritual gains through redemptive connection. Continuing to do what has continued to help prevents relapse and deepens the spiritual connection with God and others.
Hopefully this simplification will lead to a greater understanding of spiritual transformation.
Stephen Arterburn, MEd, is the Founder and Chairman of New Life Ministries, the Founder of Women of Faith conferences (attended by over five million people), and host of the #1 nationally syndicated Christian counseling talk show, “New Life Live,” heard by two million people each weekday on 200 radio stations nationwide. As a nationally and internationally known public speaker, he has been featured in national media venues such as Oprah, Inside Edition, Good Morning America, CNN Live, The New York Times, USA Today, US News & World Report, ABC World News Tonight, along with GQ and Rolling Stone magazines. Steve is also an inductee to the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame and a best-selling author of books such as Every Man’s Battle, Healing Is a Choice, Toxic Faith, Walking Into Walls, and his latest books, the Arterburn Wellness Series, and more. With over 11 million books in print, he has been writing about God’s transformational truth since 1984. Along with Dr. David Stoop, he edited and produced the award-winning Life Recovery Bible, which is on exhibit at The Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. His ministry endeavors focus on identifying and compassionately responding to the needs of those seeking healing and restoration through God’s truth. Steve currently serves as the Teaching Pastor at Northview Church in Carmel, Indiana, where he resides with his family. See more at: www.newlife.com
God was teaching me that He alone was my source of wisdom and knowledge.
My legal career started with my “spiritual transformation.” I was in law school at William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. I had finished my first semester and had done reasonably well on my exams, yet was disillusioned when many of my peers had spent considerably less time studying and going to class than I had. I was in school to learn. I was in school to succeed. As the first college graduate in my family, I was laserfocused on being the first “professional” in my family history. In short, I was taking school very seriously. Others were not.
When the grades came out, the “partiers” actually scored better than I did (and were having more fun)! I didn’t know it at the time, but God was “setting me up” for my personal spiritual transformation. My fiancé, Cathy, was a year behind me. She was finishing her undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. We had known each other since middle school. That year apart proved to be pivotal. While I was grinding away at law school, and becoming more and more disillusioned, Cathy began to be introduced to Jesus Christ as her personal Savior through a group of “Jesus People” at college. I knew something was missing in my life. And then came “the call.”
Cathy called me one night. She said, “I found Jesus Christ. He is alive. He is real and you need Him!” Pretty simple theology—and the perfect message to my heart. It was like electricity came through the phone. Within weeks, I had given my life to Jesus and my entire orientation for my life had changed!
God gave me my life scripture soon after my conversion: “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:33 ASV). Since 1972, this has been my focus and my calling. His Kingdom. His Righteousness. I feel the Lord gave me a second scripture that has sustained me through multiple career paths—ending with me being Senior Counsel and Partner at my own law firm: Anchor Legal Group, PLLC, in Virginia Beach, Virginia (www.anchorlg.com). That Scripture was Colossians 2:3, which reads, “In Christ in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden” (ASV). As a Christian for over 50 years now, I have to say this verse has sustained me and brought me to places I never imagined!
Cathy and I married in 1972 (50+ years). However, my foundation was built during my spiritual transformation in law school. After we married, we began to immediately build our family. We had three of our four children while I was in law school! Because I was not from a wealthy family, I worked full time while going to school full time. By my third year, I was working as a park ranger for the National Park Service. I went to school each day, and then worked as a ranger from 6 PM–2 AM throughout the week. On the weekends, I moonlighted as a security guard. When it came time to study for the bar exam, all my peers had formed study groups and were spending hundreds of hours preparing for the grueling two-day exam. I was not “part of the group.” When I gave my life to Jesus in 1972, I lost all the friends I thought I had. (Perhaps it was because I wore this big red button that said “JESUS CHANGED MY LIFE!”) I
had no room to study because I was working and going to school full time to provide for my family of five.
I asked my dad (not then a believer) for financial assistance to allow me to concentrate on my bar studies. He unceremoniously said, “No!” In the moment, I was so upset. Later, I realized God was teaching me that He alone was my source of wisdom and knowledge.
For many nights, I would attend the bar review courses in my ranger outfit, during my “lunch break” at 8 PM. Night after night, I would sit in the courses. Night after night I would have absolutely no idea what the teacher was saying. Yet, I had a promise: “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him.” And I also had this promise: “Seek first the kingdom of God . . . and all your needs would be added to you.” Night after night, the voice I now recognize as the Holy Spirit, after 50 years of serving God, whispered to my quivering heart, “Don’t worry, that won’t be on the test!”
My peers were studying hundreds of hours for this test. The Virginia essay part would have 12 essay questions drawn from up to 80 different areas. When it came time to take the bar, I was only prepared for 11 areas that had been hand-selected by the Holy Spirit. My spiritual transformation was about to be put to the test. I had done all I could. I loved my family. I worked. I went to school. I went to church. But like so much in our Christian walks, our very best falls short—we need a Savior. I needed my Savior to show up.
There was a ballroom filled with candidates on that morning in 1976. I had done everything I could do and was exhausted. Even still, I loved Jesus, and I knew He was with me. When the test was presented, 11 out of 11 subjects I knew were on the test! I was one of the first students to hand in their exam. (If you are one of the first to finish, that either means you did really well . . . or you are toast!)
As I slumped down in a chair in the lobby of the John Marshall Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, wondering if I had passed, I opened my little pocket Gideon’s Bible. The page opened to the scripture where Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist. The pagination opened to this wonderful passage: “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11 KJV). I knew right then I had passed the bar.
Indeed, when the results were published, many of my peers who had studied for hundreds of hours did not pass. I did! I owed it all to my spiritual transformation, to seeking “first the kingdom of God,” and keeping my eyes on Jesus, “in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Stephen D. Lentz, Esq, is a Co-Founder of Anchor Legal Group, PLLC, the former President of Middle East Television, and the former Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales for International Family Entertainment. Mr. Lentz has served as an adjunct professor at Regent University School of Law and the Graduate School of Communications, and serves clients in the areas of corporate formation, complex business transactions, entertainment law, intellectual property, non-profit law, and foundation and church/ministry representation. He is also an author and speaker, including: Bulletproof: Business Protection Strategies from a War Zone and The Business of Church: The Concise Business Handbook for Pastors and a leadership book based on the life and leadership of H.J. Heinz, It Was Never About the Ketchup! Mr. Lentz is recognized as one of the top five “Church Law Authorities” in the U.S. representing denominations and churches in all 50 states and every province in Canada. He and his wife, Cathy, live in Virginia Beach, VA, have four children, and seven grandchildren. See more at stephendlentz.com.
Leaders who are most successful experience alignment with the career they choose and understand it is a call to serve the people they lead.
I’m grateful to God for this opportunity to contribute to the thinking of leaders and leadership coaches who are examining their style and influence in a historical time in which cultural change is on high speed.
The theoretical underpinning of my coaching practice is that leaders who are most successful experience alignment with the career they choose and understand it is a call to serve the people they lead. The essence of servant leadership is a bridge to having a discussion exploring and/or affirming spiritual transformation.
Background
Depending upon the level of my executive coaching client, I offer fast-track coaching that serves to identify and help them through a series of three meetings and assessment reviews. The longer-term
coaching service—usually one year—is called Transformational Executive Coaching, and the purpose is to ensure that specific competencies to be developed and/or tuned are done so with a process that is spiritual in nature and at its core is transformational.
The doctrinal basis of my practice is my Christian journey and my clear biblical beliefs about developing my own leadership style. In the 1980s, servant leadership was discussed more and it made it easy for me to incorporate. Robert K. Greenleaf, a retired AT&T executive, introduced the concept of servant leadership in the 1970s as a technique that focused on serving others rather than managing for results to create an environment where team members can thrive.
Greenleaf’s version of servant leadership espoused the ability to:
• listen to others and discern the will of a group
• have empathy with one’s fellow workers
• help make both others and oneself whole
• rely on persuasion rather than coercion and positional authority
• think and act beyond day-to-day realities
• hold in trust and be a good steward of an institution, to build community among one’s colleagues and fellow workers[1]
The coaching model I developed supports a spiritual transformation process for any leader and is called “Head, Heart, and History.” As a former CEO, I know CEOs cannot have outdated skill sets. They must scan the business environment, maintain cultural relevancy, and display emotional intelligence.
• HEAD—The Science of Strengths
HEAD introduces leaders to their cognitive mental functions through a model of heightened self-awareness for better self-management to start. Using the theoretical underpinning of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®), clients identify their cognitive tools as “gifts” rather than the MBTI psychological vocabulary of “preferences.” This practice allows me to begin to build a bridge to the holiness of our calling and especially to a role in senior or executive leadership.
Senior leaders I have the pleasure and honor to work with and who are successful, have passed the phase where they understand, “what got them here won’t get them there,” that is, to an executive promotion. I appreciated Jack Welch’s (former CEO of General Electric) focus on leadership in his latter years. Jack would ask himself each morning before entering any place of business, Would I want to work for me today? Just as in war, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”
In today’s business environment where leaders continually face foxholes, they need to be courageous. Servant leadership allows them to extend the emotional intelligence that both transforms the culture and can transform their spirits.
• HEART—The practice of connections
HEART refers to the seat of our emotions and values. As I introduce leaders to an emotional intelligence (EQ) assessment called the EQ-i 2.0, they are individually debriefed to better understand the tool. The true power of transformation comes through a 360° EQ, in which they receive confirming feedback from raters who include their “manager, peers, and direct reports” as to possible blind spots. The raters complete the EQ questionnaire on their perception of the client’s EQ. The Multi-Rater or 360-degree assessment combines my client’s perceptions of their EQ with the perceptions of others who know them well, who are 360 degrees around them.
I remind clients the debrief on their EQ rater report may be a bit shocking. I discuss that it can be spiritually transformational if they approach with learning eyes to connect the dots and hear with learning ears to gain wisdom and understanding.
Clients also complete the VIA Survey of Character Strengths, which provides a wealth of information to help clients understand their best qualities as “a source of leadership motivation and of ethical grounding leading to virtuous behavior.” VIA Reports provide personalized, in-depth analysis of results, including actionable tips to apply your strengths to find greater well-being.
• HISTORY—The value of tenure and experience
Having now achieved insights through the MBTI into their cognitive wiring in their
HEAD and the reflection of others on the gifts of their HEART through EQ, as well as identifying potential blind spots that have been revealed and may be a barrier to servant leadership, we now address the final part of the model—their HISTORY.
HISTORY refers to the client’s age, stage, and career experiences. I challenge my clients that “when you were born makes all the difference” in how they lead, love, and learn. I may be coaching a 35-year-old CEO, a 44-year-old board chair, a 65-year-old start-up entrepreneur, or an 80-year-old founder who is culminating a succession plan and transition. As you can imagine, across the generations, the age, stage, maturity, and career experiences will vary greatly and can lead to significant spiritual transformation when one understands generational impacts and the needs of cognition, EQ, and servant leadership characteristics at certain stages of one’s career. This final
stage involves a deep dive into helping the client “tell their transformational story.” This process includes identifying their personal crucibles and guiding them to articulate their leadership journey and their servant leadership transformation.
Summary
I have the pleasure of honing my HEAD, HEART, HISTORY model for several decades to ensure that my executive coaching skill sets are relevant and pleasing to God. I love the many fascinating ways my daily coaching journey becomes inhabited by Scripture. My career and life experiences, my servant leadership stories, and testimonies of client’s spiritual transformation make the journey joy-filled!
My greatest treasure comes from clients who are renewed in seeing themselves and their leadership style, made in the image of God, as fulfilling God’s plans determined for them from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3–5). When viewed through that scriptural lens, transformed leaders can help lead others to new life through their life and actions of servant leadership—a servant leadership transformation that glorifies God!
[1] https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2017/12/spirituality-makedifference-leadership/
Rita Murray, PhD, is the Founder and Principal of Performance Consulting, LLC, an organizational development firm, previous CEO and Chairman of a national energy services company, cognitive psychologist, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), executive coach, and sought-after leadership consultant. She has held leadership roles at GE and Lockheed, and is also a private pilot. Dr. Murray frequently speaks at leadership events and conferences and is highly regarded for her ability to connect personal and interpersonal development with the needs of business and with mobile and virtual technology. She has a particular gift for explaining the different perspectives of each generation and personality types to create a bridge of understanding towards healthier business relationships and ultimately, a stronger bottom line. Dr. Murray lives in Moore, OK with her husband, Ron. See more at performanceok.com
If spiritual formation is the action of God that works to form, conform, and transform lives in Christ, then discipleship is the individual’s loving responses to God’s action and guidance.
There are a number of “voices” that often surround a person in times of crisis, testing, and challenge. As such, it can be difficult to sort out the right message(s) and set a course to lead to ongoing spiritual formation. Jesus said His sheep know His voice and follow Him, because they would not recognize the voice of a stranger (John 10:5). Since Christian coaches have been given a sacred trust—namely, in offering compassionate service to those who need help and direction—it is essential we learn to listen for, recognize, and obey the voice of our Shepherd. This happens through the presence and active participation of the Holy Spirit, not only in relation to a client’s ongoing spiritual formation, but in our own lives as well.
In John 15:26, the Greek term, paraklesis, is used and it refers to the Holy Spirit. The word is most often translated as “comforter” and refers to “a calling to one’s side” (para “beside” and kaleo “to call”), and can also include the notion of Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, and Strengthener—sounds like the role of a life coach. The Apostle Paul encouraged fellow believers by explaining the reality of the Spirit’s presence as the One who confirms their relationship with God (Romans 8:14–16). Again and again, he emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit in forming believers in Christ, conforming them to God’s will, and
transforming their minds (Romans 12:22). He acknowledged the specific agency of the Spirit in sanctification: that which distinguishes Jesus’ followers from the secular world’s value system, beliefs, standards, and actions and connects the process to having a vibrant relationship with God (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
Within the coaching relationship and when invited, the Holy Spirit helps bring both clarity and focus through the following:
• Humility to approach the one who is hurting
• Discernment to understand what God is doing
• Wisdom to know what to do with what He reveals
• Grace to apply God’s solution in the matter
• Power to push through the resistance of the “evil one”
• Love to “cover a multitude of sins”
Spiritual formation may be defined as God’s loving actions, discerned both internally and externally, in a person’s faith walk. This In and Through process represents the work of the Spirit in a believer and is referred to as “holistic formation.” In other words, it is the progressive development of continuing maturation in Christ—God’s forming, conforming, and transforming, over the entirety of a person’s life journey (2 Corinthians 3:18). Furthermore, the work of the Spirit is not compartmentalized merely to those elements people tend to think of or define as “spiritual,” but the Spirit’s agency consists of encouraging growth and bringing wholeness in every area of life: formation in personal faith, in emotional maturity, in social/interpersonal relationships, in vocational calling and giftings, in theological and intellectual knowledge, in the ability to adopt practices and habits that encourage health and wellness, and in forming a lifestyle of wise financial and resource stewardship.
If spiritual formation is the action of God that works to form, conform, and transform lives in Christ, then discipleship is the individual’s loving responses to God’s action and guidance. Peter’s second epistle (2 Peter 1:5–8 NASB) provides an example of the Christian coach’s call to an obedient response:
• “applying all diligence”—Competent Christian coaches have a persevering application to their pursuits that is steady, earnest, and consistent.
• “in your faith supply moral excellence”
Competent Christian coaches utilize the Scriptures as their moral foundation and actively look to integrate biblical concepts.
• “and in your moral excellence, knowledge” Competent Christian coaches are willing learners and seek out God’s truth wherever it may be found.
• “and in your knowledge, self-control” Competent Christian coaches attempt to assist others in regaining a sense of control through demonstrating this fruit in their own lives.
• “and in your self-control, perseverance” Competent Christian coaches remain committed to the people God brings them and are willing to work through the resistance.
• “and in your perseverance, godliness” Competent Christian coaches are willing to follow God’s path while demonstrating God’s character.
• “and in your godliness, brotherly kindness” Competent Christian coaches are capable of modeling empathy and compassion as servant leaders.
• “and in your brotherly kindness, love” Competent Christian coaches endeavor to be covenantal in their work with others and not contractual.
• “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” Competent Christian counselors make a difference.
The Holy Spirit is not limited to direct intervention, but also through human instrumentation, actively works to teach, comfort, advocate, help, coach, and convict in the process of transforming lives. The Spirit gives wisdom and revelation, strengthening the inner self so that outwardly expressed faith and love may abound. In this manner, the life of God through the believer becomes full and unfettered. The Spirit of God intercedes through and for believers (Romans 8:26). He is present, yet working at all times in unseen ways to bring deepening faith, healing, and wholeness to every area of life.
John clearly describes the residency of the Spirit in believers; they have access to His wisdom, through the canon of Scripture, and in other ways, certainly including the movements of the Spirit in
any particular session and in the overall process of life coaching. The result is a transformation of thinking, attitudes, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. As Christian coaches receive the most appropriate professional preparation possible and also understand the presence and partnership of the Spirit in their own call and giftedness, then the work of the Spirit emerges powerfully in both the actions of the coaches and the continuing formational growth that flows in and through the dynamic practice of life coaching.
Martin Luther eloquently expresses this being and becoming that defines Christian formation and the role of the Spirit in coaching: “This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” [1]
The process of becoming a Christ-centered coach is just that—a process. God typically builds
(forms and transforms) people just as He did the Tabernacle, from the inside out. Our part is to give Him complete access to all that we are in order to become vessels of honor, reflecting the character of Christ. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines character as, “a mark or distinctive quality; ethical traits often distinguishing a person or group; moral excellence or soundness; or a device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin, or relationship.” Paul states that we “belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:23 NASB). In essence, we are the object of His love, and He has placed Himself within us through the Holy Spirit to indicate ownership and relationship.
Holistic formation of individual lives is the role and the work of the Spirit in coaching. It is the ongoing, powerful, unseen, and seamless work that is lifelong in its penetration of the “soul and spirit . . . [of judging] the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB) in the journey of being and becoming, of embracing both God’s promises and His vision of wholeness through the gift of life in Jesus Christ.
[1] https://quotes.pub/q/this-life-therefore-is-notrighteousness-but-growth-in-right-446022
Eric Scalise, PhD, LPC, LMFT, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) with Hope for the Heart. He is also the President of LIV Consulting, LLC, the former Senior Vice President for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), and former Department Chair for Counseling Programs at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. Dr. Scalise is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with over 43 years of clinical and professional experience in the mental health, higher education, and organizational consulting fields, as well as having served six years on the Virginia Board of Counseling under two governors. Specialty areas include professional/ pastoral stress and burnout, combat trauma and PTSD, marriage and family issues, grief and loss, addictions and recovery, leadership development, and lay counselor training. He is a published author (Addictions and Recovery Counseling and Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry), adjunct professor at several Christian universities, conference speaker, and frequently works with organizations, clinicians, ministry leaders, and churches on a variety of issues. As the son of a diplomat, Dr. Scalise was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and has also lived and traveled extensively around the world. He and his wife Donna have been married for 43 years, have twin sons who are combat veterans serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and four grandchildren
Mara Lief Crabtree, DMin, is Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Women’s Studies at Regent University School of Divinity, where she also serves as chairperson for the Curriculum Committee and Divinity representative for the University’s Curriculum and Instruction Review Committee (CIRC). Dr. Crabtree is the recipient of the 2011 Chancellor’s Award for University faculty member of the year, and she was awarded School of Divinity faculty member of the year in 1999, 2003, and 2007. She completed her doctoral immersion requirements in Poland, visiting Holocaust sites including Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, the former Warsaw Ghetto, and other sites, studying the realities related to the spirituality and suffering of the Jewish people. Dr. Crabtree is ordained with the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches and serves as OSL Region II, U.S., Representative for Virginia Chapters, and Chaplain, Tidewater Chapter, International Order of St. Luke.
