By Rev. Dr. Travis Guse
I. Introduction
In the field of coaching there is a growing focus on the topic of wellness. In a whitepaper published in 2014 called “An Introduction To Wellness Coaching”, Dr. Jeffry Auerbach notes that wellness coaching is a booming field, especially among three specific populations: 1) Fully healthy individuals who want to further increase their quality of their life and relationships, 2) Moderately well individuals who have specific health, well-being and social goals, and 3) Individuals who have a chronic or acute illness who want specific support, guidance and assistance related to enhancing the quality of their life.[1] This type of wellness coaching focuses on everything from stress reduction, assessing health concerns, establishing wellness goals, integrating information about health and wellness into healthy behaviors, improve long term motivation and follow-through on many health goals, time management, etc.[2]
More broadly there has been an ever-increasing exploration within the field of positive psychology on the question of what are the contributing factors to well-being, especially with the work of one of the fathers of the positive psychology movement, Dr. Martin Seligman. In his book, “Flourish”, Seligman explains that well-being is more than just simply being “happy”, but is about “increasing human flourishing for one’s own life and on the planet.”[3] For Seligman, there are five factors that contribute to human flourishing or thriving in his well-being theory, which he calls PERMA: 1) Positive emotions, 2) Engagement, 3) Relationships, 4) Meaning, and 5) Achievement.[4] In his research it is these measurable factors that significantly impact one’s sense of overall well-being in life. In recent years Seligman’s PERMA well-being model has been adapted to include a “V” for Vitality (PERMA-V), which includes a focus on eating right, exercise, and getting good sleep. [5]
More specifically, there has been a growing focus in coaching on Mindfulness as related to overall well-being, especially within the world of business. The father of the Mindfulness movement known as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Jon Kabat-Zinn, defines Mindfulness this way, “Mindfulness is the awareness that arises by paying attention on purpose in the present moment and nonjudgmentally.”[6] According to Scott Eblin in his book “Overworked And Overwhelmed”, Mindfulness is “about managing the gap between your thoughts and actions” so you can show up at your very best in all the different domains of your life.[7] According to Eblin, the need for Mindfulness is growing because of the non-stop demands on the time and attention of today’s business professionals due to the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash as well as the constant connectivity of today’s smartphones.[8] The COVID-19 Pandemic that started in 2020 exasperated the level of stress many are feeling in our culture today. This constant demand upon our time and attention, as well as trying to manage the stress caused by the uncertainty and complexity of our post-pandemic world, is impacting the overall well-being of so many. It has been the recent discoveries in the field of neuroscience that has begun to mainstream the practice of mindfulness beyond eastern religious practices; spiritual practices that also can be found throughout the history of the Church as well.
With this growing emphases on well-being and the recent research about contributing factors that lead to human flourishing within the field of coaching, I want to explore the question of what all this has to say, if anything, about coaching believers to live the full and abundant life that Jesus talks about that He’s come to bring in John 10:10. More specifically, is the Christian life only about knowing God’s saving love by grace through faith in Jesus and then just waiting around until we step into eternity – or – is there something more that God is calling us to in Christ once we come to know His saving love? Is life abundant only about eternity or is the life abundant in Jesus also a present reality that can be experienced and lived out in the here and now in all aspects of our life? I intend to examine these questions through the lens of the vocational discipleship coaching model that I developed in my dissertation work over the last few years called Called2B. And as I do so, I want to especially examine how this life abundant in Christ relates to these recent developments in coaching focused on wellness, well-being and mindfulness, along with much of the new research over the last decade that relates to spirituality and neuroscience.
II. Holistic Discipleship Coaching
Called2B is a personalized vocational coaching model that seeks to empower everyday believers to discover and live out their authentic calling in Christ in love and service to their neighbors. In the terms of the book “Adaptive Coaching” by Terry Bacon and Laurie Voss, Called2B is a non-directive, programmatic coaching framework that is focused on empowering believers to live their full redemptive potential holistically – to discover and live out who they have been created and now redeemed to be in Christ for Kingdom impact in all of their callings of life.[9] Called2B is designed to disciple believers through this vocational coaching model focused around the two primary relationships of a life of discipleship as expressed by Martin Luther: 1) One’s vertical relationship with the saving Gospel of Christ through which He creates new life in the believer and 2) the living out of that faith in Christ in the horizontal relationships in all of one’s general callings in life.[10]
The passage of Scripture that best reflects this distinction of Luther’s Two Kinds of Righteousness (relationships) in the life of the believer and serves as the basis for my Called2B vocational coaching model is Ephesians 2:8-10. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul describes a believer’s vertical relationship with God in Christ, which Luther termed “Passive Righteousness” with these familiar words, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In this passage from Paul, we hear that our vertical relationship with God, which is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This vertical relationship is God’s justifying work in the life of a believer that makes them alive in Christ and saves them. The believer now has a right relationship with God that is received passively, given as a free gift of God in Christ. Theologically we would call this Justification – being declared just before God through the merits of Jesus.
Distinctive from, yet flowing out of this Passive Righteousness in one’s vertical relationship with God in Christ, is now what Luther would call one’s “Active Righteousness” that defines a believer’s horizontal relationships in life. Ephesians 2:10 expresses this horizontal reality of life in these words, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” There is a place for good works in the life of a believer, yet they have nothing to do with one’s salvation and standing before God. What they have to do with is the living out of that salvation and calling of grace in Christ in one’s everyday horizontal callings of life in love and service to one’s neighbors. We hear from Paul that there are good works that God has prepared for each person to do in this life. There is a reason for our existence and purpose to our lives. And to understand what we are here to do, we must better discern God’s workmanship and design in our life. In fact, even this workmanship is seen as a gift of grace. Theologically this is called the life of Sanctification – being made holy for a holy purpose in life.
It is here in this life of the believer at the connection point between one’s vertical calling in Christ (Passive Righteousness), which is a gift of God by grace through faith (Justification), and one’s horizontal callings in life (Active Righteousness), which is also a work of God by His grace (Sanctification), that the life of discipleship intersects. Paul writes of this “working out” of our salvation in our daily lives when he writes, in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The life of a disciple, the life of Sanctification, is the living out of our salvation through faith in Christ in one’s everyday life. Yet, this is just as much the work of God by His grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s Active Righteousness as it is in their Passive Righteousness.
In order for this holistic vocational coaching framework approach to be truly transformative, Called2B is used to help coach a person through three core elements of a believer’s calling. The first element of Called2B is “Identity – Be Aware”. Bacon and Voss note that awareness is the first step and a necessary foundation for change and development to occur.[11] The awareness we seek to create in the lives of those we coach through Called2B is first to discover their ultimate calling in Christ that is by grace through faith in Christ. (Eph 2:8-9) Here, this is not an identity that needs to be developed, but one that is already freely given in which each believer is individually a child of God, and collectively part of the Priesthood of All Believers and as part of the Body of Christ. The life of Christian discipleship does not begin with doing, it begins with simply being. It is this awareness of our ultimate identity in Christ that fulfills one of Seligman’s contributing factors for well-being, the discovery of Meaning in which we grow in our vision that we belong to and are serving something that is bigger than self – Christ and His Kingdom.[12]
The second calling we seek to deepen awareness of for those we coach through Called2B is in regards to their unique identity in Christ, which flows out of God’s grace in their workmanship, gifting, and design. (Eph 2:10) Long before I ever read Scott Eblin’s book “Overworked And Overwhelmed” and about his Life GPS, I developed a process of aiding my coaching clients to discover what I’ve termed their Divine GPS – their Gifts, their Passions, and their Strengths. It is this Divine GPS that represents not only the best of who a person is by God’s gifting and design, but also related to and flowing out of this workmanship, is the discovery of God’s divine purpose for one’s life. Every person has been created on purpose for a purpose that God has in mind for their life – a reason for why they exist. In Called2B we use various assessment tools to help create this awareness in the PBC (Person Being Coached) in order to help them discover and live out their Divine GPS in all of their general callings in life in love and service to others.
We first coach the PBC to deepen their awareness of the Gift of their personality. The DISC and/or the MTBI are excellent assessments tools to aid one in better discerning their personality in terms of their temperament, how God has hardwired them. Another part of our personality is soft-wired within us and can be shaped, which is one’s character. We use the VIA Strengths assessment to assist believers to grow in and align their character and values to that of Christ; growing in their Christlikeness. For Selgiman, the strengths and virtues represented in VIA serve as the underpinning for his PERMA model of well-being, as they represent a person at their best when they are in flow.[13] Second, we utilize the CliftonStrengths assessment to identify one’s Strengths, their God-given talents, in order to empower those we coach to grow in their awareness of and begin to live out God’s unique workmanship in their lives. Lastly, we utilized a Passion assessment in Called2B to aid those we are coaching in discerning their personal motivations in life, what fuels them. While there is a dark side to our Divine GPS because of our sinfulness and self-centeredness when we serve ourselves rather than God or others, these assessments help those we coach also to recognize the best of who God has created and now redeemed them to be in service to Him and to others in their various domains of life. It is in creating awareness of this unique calling each believer has in Christ that answers the big question Eblin poses in his book, “How am I when I’m at my best?”[14]
So often people mistakenly believe that our calling and purpose in life is something to be found “out there” in what we do, how much we make, how much we have, from our status and accomplishments in life, etc. Yet, the reality is that our true calling is something to be found inside in our identity that comes both from our ultimate calling in Christ by grace and our unique calling of God’s workmanship and design in our life. It is this understanding that allowed the Apostle Paul to be content, and I would dare say be mindful, in all circumstances in his life no matter the situation as he describes in Philippians 4:12. The same is true for our walk with Christ, as through coaching we empower each believer to intentionally aim their Divine GPS, their unique calling in Christ, in each of life’s domains in love and serve to their neighbors.
The third element of Called2B is “Impact – Be A Difference”. It is as each believer seeks to make a difference for Kingdom impact as they live out their authentic calling in Christ in their service to their Family, in their service within the Church as part of the Body of Christ, in their service in their Lifework and career, and in their service to Society in being a good neighbor in their community and world, that they experience a sense of accomplishment. Accomplishment, achieving and making a difference, is another one of Seligman’s contributing factors to well-being and flourishing in life.[15] It is also as the PBC serves in each of these areas with the best of who they are in terms of their Divine GPS that they will experience flow in life and as a result meet another of Seligman’s criteria for well-being, that of Engagement.[16]
There is yet another element of Called2B that stands between that of Identity and Impact. It is the second element of “Empowerment – Be Alive”. Through this second element of Called2B, that of empowering everyday believers to discover and live out their unique calling in Christ, that I would like to spend the remainder of my focus. To be honest, this is the piece that I hadn’t felt like I had fully developed in my Called2B coaching model until reading Eblin’s book, “Overworked And Overwhelmed”. As Eblin writes about coaching around being more mindful, especially in living out one’s Life GPS, I was especially intrigued by the routines he wrote about of physical health, mental health, relational health, and spiritual health. Eblin stresses the importance of caring for each of these 4 aspects of self when he writes, “Effective routines often have a ripple effect that enables you to show up at your best more often by cutting across one or more of these four domains.”[17] Applying this to Called2B vocational coaching process, what allows us to show up at our best in terms of our authentic vertical calling in Christ (our ultimate and unique calling) to make the greatest Kingdom impact possible in the general horizontal callings in life is to make sure we are being transformed and empowered in these same 4 Aspects of Self – Heart, Soul, Mind and Body.
Applying this thought Biblically, Jesus provides just such a framework as He connects our Passive Righteousness in our vertical relationship with God through faith in Christ with living out that calling of love to neighbor through our Active Righteousness in our horizontal relationships of life. He does so in His discourse with an expert in the Law in Luke 10. The expert stood up to test Jesus by asking him which was the greatest commandment. Jesus, in response, affirms that, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Here we have the whole structure of the life of a disciple – the two primary relationships of loving God vertically and loving our neighbors as ourselves horizontally. God’s entire purpose and will for humanity, and with it human flourishing, is expressed in these words of Jesus. Yet, what connects these two callings, the vertical and the horizontal, is our personal calling of the 4 aspects of self that Jesus refers to – heart, soul, mind and strength.
It is important to note that what empowers one to even begin to love God, or for that matter others, is that we have been made alive in God’s love in Christ. Or as John says in his first epistle, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) As we experience Christ’s love, we are empowered to love God in our vertical calling with Him and love others in our horizontal callings in life, doing so in a way that engages all of us. We love God and others with our heart (καρδία), which was seen Biblically as the source of a person’s psychological life including heart, inner self, and mind, which was also thought of in terms of liver, stomach or bowels.[18] We love God with our soul (ψυχή), which was associated with the essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, feeling, and the essence of our being, including purpose or desire involved in faith. [19] We love God with our strength (ἰσχύς), which was associated with personal potential involving capacity and strength [20], but also with the quality of physical strength involving the body.[21] And lastly, but not least, we love God with our mind (διάνοια), which was associated with the content of our thinking and reasoning. [22]
Now, it would appear from these Biblical definitions of heart, soul, mind and strength that it is almost impossible to fully distinguish between these 4 different aspects of self. It would be proper to understand Jesus as saying we are to love God with all we think and feel; to love God and others with all of our being. This would not be so far from the truth when we consider recent research related to neuroscience as it pertains to spirituality. There is such an interconnection between these different aspects of our lives, that while they are distinct, they are also an interrelated whole. In his book “Brain Savvy Leaders”, Charles Stone describes this interconnection when he writes:
“We have both a body and a soul mysteriously unified. What goes on in our souls affects our bodies and brains. What we pay attention to can actually change our brain’s neuropathways – their plasticity. If you regularly read, study, and apply God’s word, you will create connections in your brain that reinforce a biblical worldview. Likewise, our body influences our soul. For example, the next time you don’t sleep well, you’ll find it more difficult to pay attention to God’s quiet voice in your devotional time the next day. Sleepy bodies affect our minds and, hence, our effectiveness.”[23]
That is the unique quality of our existence as these hybrid spiritual/physical beings of God’s creation. Unfortunately there is a dualistic tendency in Christianity that separates concern for the soul from concern for the rest of a person in the same way we see what happens in the Church as “holy” and the rest of life as “secular”. A holistic approach to discipleship will take serious care for each of these 4 Aspects of Self (Heart, Soul, Mind and Body) while recognizing the interconnectedness of these aspects in their entirety, for Jesus has redeemed not just our soul, but all of us as His very good creation.
III. Empowering Soul, Mind, Heart & Body
Where I would like to begin in considering how to empower believers to discover and live out their authentic calling in Christ in their daily callings of life through holistic discipleship coaching is starting where we as the Church typically do, in focusing on the Soul. Often times when it comes to the care and nurture of our soul, we tend to focus a great deal in our discipleship through teaching and preaching on “The Faith”, as in the content of what we believe, teach and confess. This is a good and right focus, for many have been misled and drawn away from Christ through false teaching. Yet what we believe, teach and confess about “The Faith” as a noun is different from “faith” as a verb. “Faith” as a verb is a living and active trust in God, given as a gift as we abide in Christ, He the vine and we the branches. (John 15:5) This is where true empowerment for Kingdom living takes place, a life of Sanctification. Yet, why do we see so little empowerment and transformation in the lives of everyday believers? Curt Thompson gives the reason why in his book, “Anatomy Of The Soul”, in which he writes, “We tend to place a great deal of emphasis on the ways and the degree to which we know God (or know things about God) rather than to the degree we are being known by God.” [24] While this is a difficult truth for many to accept, theology is not enough. It is in this relational knowing and being known by Christ that we are empowered to bear much fruit.
Another aspect of empowerment for living out our calling in Christ is found in growing in our Christlikeness. According to Dallas Willard in his book “Renovation Of The Heart”, spiritual transformation takes place through a process he terms VIM – Vision, Intention & Means.[25] Growing more and more in the Vision of who we are already in Christ through growing in our awareness of our authentic identity in Christ is a key to spiritual transformation. It is through the use of certain Means that God works this spiritual transformation in our life. N.T. Wright in his book, “After You Believe”, elaborates of examples these means in what he terms “The Virtuous Circle” of 1) Scripture, 2) Stories of faith, 3) Examples of believers in our personal lives, 4) Community, and 5) Practices like use of the Sacraments and spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting. [26]
As Thompson, in his book, points out in regards to use of such spiritual disciplines, “. . . we don’t earn brownie points with God for engaging in spiritual disciplines. They’re valuable because they line us up to be more available to hear the Spirit of God when he speaks. They create space within us for God to work. He is more than willing to do this work, but not without our cooperation.”[27] It is God who gives the growth and empowers us through such means. But, there must be Intention in the use of the means God has made available to us. And it is as we make intentional use of these means of God’s transforming work, we grow not into a better image of who we wish to be, but more and more we grow into the image of Christ and our identity of who we will be in the new creation. In the meantime, as Thompson states, “. . . we are to be about the business of living under His rule, practicing who and what we will be when His Kingdom arrives in its fullness.”[28] Thus empowered in our souls we are “be-living” as if the gospel is true.[29]
The second aspect of our personal calling in Christ that we focus on in our vocational empowerment coaching in Called2B is on the Mind. In Romans 12:2, we hear this call from the Apostle Paul, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Being empowered to discover and live out our unique calling in Christ is not just a matter of transformation of our soul, but also a transformation of our mind. Stone further explains the importance of this renewing of the mind in God’s work of transformation in our life when he writes, “Paul says that a key to such lasting spiritual change lies in what goes on in our minds, in contrast to many cults in that day that played down rationality. As the Holy Spirit changes our inner being, including our minds, the Holy Spirit creates outward Christlike attitudes that show up in our behavior.”[30] Yet as Stone notes, this renewing of our minds is just as intentional of a process as the transformation of our souls.
One of the ways this transformation happens in the believer’s life of Sanctification is by what we pay attention to. In his book, Stone discusses the implications of Hebb’s law that states, “neurons that fire together wire together.”[31] Stone further elaborates on the implications of Hebb’s law on our life of Sanctification when he writes:
“Sanctification, the process of ongoing conformity to the life of Christ, requires an ongoing change in our thinking, which also changes the neural pathways in our brains. Sanctification sculpts new neuronal pathways to align with God’s Word. . . The more we pay attention to God’s truth, the more our brains change, and thus our thinking changes. So, repentance is both an event and a process, a gift and a response. It is both mental and behavioral change, internal and external. We become more like Jesus in our beliefs and in our behavior.”[32]
This has been one of the amazing discoveries over the last couple of decades in the field of neuroscience in that our brains, according to Thompson, have a great deal of plasticity. He explains, “This refers to its capacity, at a cellular connection level, to make new synapses and to prune away those synapses that don’t get much firing action.”[33] So, in a very real way, what we focus on becomes our reality. The more intentionally we focus on our authentic identity of who we are in Christ through the Word and the Means of Grace, the more our brains are renewed and transformed to be more Christlike in our thoughts and in our behaviors. In a world of distraction and busyness, coaching serves as a way to help the PBC slow down and consider what is vying for their attention and shaping their reality. In fact, according to Jane Creswell in her book “Coaching For Excellence”, coaching is a brain-altering experience that helps create new synapses and neural pathways in the brains of those we coach.[34]
Yet another aspect of empowering believers when it comes to loving God and others with their minds is being mindful of their emotional reactions. In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul speaks of the fruit that is exhibited in those who abide in Christ when he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Now, the fruit of the Spirit comes when we are mindful of our ultimate identity in Christ. Yet, there is also a mindfulness needed to understand what is happening in our minds when it comes to how the Holy Spirit produces this fruit through the renewing and transformation of our minds. Stone elaborates on this when he states, “However, we can’t separate how our brains work from how the Holy Spirit works in us to create change in our hearts and in our character. Emotional control is not a passive process. It requires our intentional effort to work with the Holy Spirit.[35]
Interestingly, the negative networks in our brains outweigh the positive ones 5 to 1 and in the Amygdala, the panic alarm in our brain, 2/3rds of our brain cells are wired for fear.[36] And when we are threatened, we react emotionally much faster than we do with higher critical thinking.[37] In fact, protecting ourselves is hardwired into our brains according to Judith Glaser in her book, “Conversational Intelligence”. Glaser explains that in times when we feel threatened and fearful of others or situations in life, we have what is called an Amygdala hijacking. There is then a release of a neurotransmitter called cortisol that shuts down the executive functions of our brain and creates a fight or flight response within us.[38] As a result we feel stressed, have a lack of focus and don’t show up at our best. The solution to this fight and flight response, according to Eblin, is to initiate our rest and digest system.[39] As we do so, the cortisol levels are lowered and our higher critical thinking, which leads to wise responses in life, is restored.
So, what allows for an individual to make this shift from a “fight or flight” response to a more mindful “rest and digest” response? Eblin references research conducted by Eileen Luders with the UCLA Center for Neuroimaging that shows the positive impact of mindful breathing and meditative practices.[40] While these practices have tended to be associated with eastern religions, there is a rich tradition of Christian meditative practices. Stone advocates for a rediscovery of Christian mindfulness when he writes, “For a Christian, however, mindfulness helps us declutter our minds of the superfluous so that we desire God more in our daily lives. Spirit-directed mindfulness guides our minds to focus on God’s truth about our relationship with Him and the truth about our current circumstances. Christian mindfulness helps renew our minds, not empty them.”
Stone shares a focused prayer and meditative devotional approach called BEETS that I’ve personally added to my morning devotion time and was very helpful during all that was going on with the COVID shutdown. It consists of B – Body Awareness, E – Environmental Awareness, E – Emotions Awareness, T – Thought Awareness, and S – Soul Awareness.[41] This has been a great way not only to be more mindful of my own emotional state, but has given me a chance to submit my thoughts as well as my feelings to the work of the Holy Spirit. This approach of Christian mindfulness also begins to produce another one of Seligman’s criteria in his well-being PERMA model, that of positive emotions, as the Spirit produces more and more of the Fruit of the Spirit in the renewing of our minds.[42]
A third way that we seek to empower believers to discover and live out their calling in Christ is by nurturing the Heart. Now, as Thompson explains from his exploration of spirituality and neuroscience, what we typically understand Biblically as the heart is for the most part the right side of our brain. Where the left hemisphere is more logical, analytical and individually focused, the right side of our brains is more relational, emotional and socially focused.[43] While with the left side of our brains we can know a great deal about others and God, it is with the right side of our brains that we are known by others and God. Thompson emphasizes this point when he states, “The integration of the left and right systems is required to experience being known by someone else.”[44] A holistic spirituality is one in which both the left and right sides of our brain are engaged – to know God both intellectually as well as relationally, and just as importantly being known by Him.
As a result of this emotional and relational nature of our brains, we are made by God to be social beings. In fact, according to research referenced by Glaser, the need for human contact is greater than the need for safety. When we make a right-brain to right-brain connection with another person in a trusted relationship we trigger what Glaser refers to as a “neurochemical soup” of dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and other chemicals that give us a sense of well-being.[45] Even a smile has the power through something called mirror neurons to act as an emotional contagion, impacting the emotions of others we come in contact with.[46] These relational and emotional connections even have the power, according to a BYU study, to increase one’s chance of being alive after 7.5 years by 50 percent than those who have weak relationships. Related to these findings Eblin notes, “On a more personal level, your physical health depends on the strengths of our relationships.”[47] Again, Positive emotions and positive Relationships have a major impact on one’s ability to flourish in life. No wonder so many people struggled during the pandemic due to social distancing and quarantining at home.
Yet, as wonderful as positive emotions and positive relationships are in empowering the heart, there is so much more. Real transformation can only happen through a right-brain to right-brain connection with another person. Thompson reflects on the transforming power of this connection when he writes, “Such a dramatic shift in your right-brain processing is necessary for such an association to change, and it is possible only when your right brain encounters another right brain. That is why cultivating deep, emotionally intimate friendships, engaging in psychotherapy, or meeting with a spiritual director can be so beneficial.”[48] This is the transformative power of coaching in making this kind of right-brain to right-brain connection with the PBC through powerful listening and empathy as they share their story and their dreams for the future. And as we empower our coaching clients to make this sort of heart to heart connection with Jesus in being known by Him as they recall His transformative story of love in the Word, that lives can be changed.
The last aspect of self that we focus on in empowering believers in their personal calling in Christ is in regards to their body (strength). This is perhaps the area we focus on least in our discipleship in the Church, and yet is just as important for our personal effectiveness in living out our calling in Christ in all of our callings in life. We hear in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Jesus has not just redeemed our souls, but our bodies as well. And as the Apostle Paul indicates we are to glorify God with our bodies, with all of our strength and in all that we do, because we are now the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. This is not just an individual reality, but a corporate reality as a part of the Body of Christ. Stone paints a captivating picture of glorifying our bodies today with other believers when he writes, “Together we glorify God with our bodies, which includes our brains, when we eat right, sleep right, exercise, and do acts of mercy as a group of believers.”[49] There is a great connection he makes in this quote between living out our calling in Christ in our callings in life and the care of our bodies in our personal calling.
Sadly, there are so many, even pastors in ministry, who are not as effective as they could be for Christ and His Kingdom because they don’t take care of their bodies. They don’t eat right, they don’t exercise, and they don’t get enough sleep. As a result they lack energy, emotionally as well as spiritually; they are feeling overworked and overwhelmed, and they are not able to focus mentally. In his book, Stone notes the positive impact of 35 minutes of treadmill work at 60 to 70 percent of max heart rates, not just on the body but also on the brain’s processing speed and cognitive flexibility. He also points out that 35 percent of adults get fewer than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and as a result are not as alert or productive as they could be.[50] Eblin explains in his book that exercise is not just good for the brain, but it also helps the body get rid of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that creates a chronic state of fight or flight in many people today with all the associated health risks that go with it. For me, my time of exercise is also a time that I pray and connect with God. There is an interconnection in all that we do and all that we are in living out our calling in Christ.
IV. Putting It All Together With Coaching
So, how does this all come together in the vocational empowerment coaching we do through Called2B? We do this individually and within the ministries we work with as we coach believers through the Called2B Dashboard. In many ways the transformative coaching approach we use is very similar to the “Inside Out” transformative coaching model that Bacon and Voss reference in their book.[51] With believers, we begin with our first element of “Identity – Be Aware”, helping them grow in their ultimate identity in Christ represented by the cross. Through active listening and powerful coaching questions, we help them discover what their identity in Christ means for their life personally. We also do the same by empowering them to grow in their awareness of their unique identity by discovering their Divine GPS (Gifts, Passions and Strengths) through the use of the aforementioned assessment tools (DISC/MBTI, VIA, CliftonStrengths & our Called2B Passion Assessment). This is represented by the GPS symbol in the Called2B Dashboard (Below)
In the second element of Called2B, that of “Empowerment – Be Alive”, we coach believers specifically through what we call “Called2B Fit”. The vision behind Called2B Fit is not just being fit in one’s personal calling of heart, soul, mind and body, but to be fit for service in living out their calling in Christ for Kingdom impact. In many ways, this coaching process aligns very well with the Four-Step Human Change Process mentioned by Bacon and Voss.[52] We do this by first “Building Awareness” and establishing a baseline and gathering information through intake wellness questionnaires and referencing their Divine GPS assessment results. Second, we “Build Commitment” by creating a sense of urgency and generate commitments. We do this in two ways. We do so by asking powerful questions that help them apply their ultimate and unique identity in Christ to their 4 aspects of their personal calling. We also have them process through the 4 Aspects Of Self Wheel to begin to create awareness of where they are at currently in aligning their heart, soul, mind and body to Christ. 10 represents being very far away from alignment with Jesus and 1 represents being in complete alignment with Jesus in this part of their life. Next, we ask them what a one or two point change in growing in Christlikeness in these areas would look like? Then finally, we ask them what steps they could begin to take to intentionally grow in their Christlikeness in this aspect of their life?
To begin “Building Practice”, we coach them to develop an Empowerment Plan for themselves with this question in mind, “What empowers me?” We coach each PBC to develop SMART goals related to this question in regards to their heart, their soul, their mind and their body. While there will be specific actions that will be unique to each of these aspects of self, there will likely also be a great amount of overlap. For example, a recent coaching client developed a SMART goal for himself of going for a walk each day for 45 minutes. This one goal was established to replenish his body, but it was also to help him clear his mind of negative thoughts, to help him refresh his heart because being outdoors rejuvenated him, and to help him nurture his soul because he used that time to pray to God. This one goal had incredible impact on empowering him to live out His authentic calling in Christ in all of his callings in life more effectively. Finally, the last step is “Building Accountability” through the path of continuous learning. Here, coaching provides the support, encouragement and accountability to put these SMART goals into action. The ultimate goal in coaching within Called2B Fit is a rhythm and routine that help you live your full redemptive potential as you live the abundant life that is yours in Christ.
In the last element of Called2B, “Impact – Be A Difference”, we repeat the third and fourth steps in the Four-Step Human Change process of again “Building Practice” as they develop SMART goals for living out their ultimate and unique calling in Christ in their various general callings (Family, Church, Lifework, and Society). In addition, we focus on “Building Accountability” through a supportive and encouraging coaching relationship until these new practices are established as habits in their life. We then repeat the process of the Inside Out coaching model to check in if the new actions are aligned with their ultimate identity in Christ and their Divine GPS.
V. Conclusion
Coaching is the most effective means I have discovered to disciple people personally, practically, and in a holistic way that not only empowers them to be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word – to live the abundant life in Christ of Passive Righteousness in their vertical relationship with God and to live a life of Active Righteousness in their horizontal relationships with others. Creswell in her book writes, “There is a connection between coaching people and letting them make self-discovery at their own pace. That foundation of self-discovery dovetails well with what a faith community is trying to do. In matters of faith, people are best left to their own pace, their willingness and readiness for understanding, and their level of personal responsibility for the actions they decide to take.”[53] Coaching honors each person and their unique calling in Christ and the specific contribution they have been called to make in all domains of their life based on God’s gifting and design. We have begun to see this vision of discipleship coaching lived out through Called2B in a way that is also increasing personal well-being and flourishing in the lives of those we have coached as they love God and others – heart, soul, mind and body.
[1] Jeffrey Auerbach, An Introduction To Wellness Coaching (College of Executive Coaching, 2014), p. 1
[2] Jeffrey Auerbach, An Introduction To Wellness Coaching (College of Executive Coaching, 2014), p. 2
[3] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 26
[4] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 16
[5] “PERMA-V: Our Framework For Well-Being”, St. Andrew’s College Website, https://www.stac.school.nz/why-stac/well-being-at-stac/perma-v/, November 24, 2021
[6] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 18
[7] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 19
[8] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. xviii
[9] Terry R. Bacon & Laurie Voss, Adaptive Coaching (Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey International, 2012), p. 93-106
[10] Robert Kolb, The Christian Faith – A Lutheran Exposition (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1993), p. 20
[11] Terry R. Bacon & Laurie Voss, Adaptive Coaching (Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey International, 2012), p. 249
[12] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 17
[13] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 62
[14] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 62
[15] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 18-19
[16] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 11
[17] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 54
[18] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 320). New York: United Bible Societies.
[19] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 320). New York: United Bible Societies.
[20] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 675). New York: United Bible Societies.
[21] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 699). New York: United Bible Societies.
[22] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 350–351). New York: United Bible Societies.
[23] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 23
[24] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 16
[25] Dallas Willard, Renovation Of The Heart – Putting On The Character Of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2012), p. 85
[26] N.T. Wright, After You Believe – Why Christian Character Matters (New York, NY: HarperOne – HarperCollins Publishers, 2011), p. 260
[27] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 178
[28] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 221
[29] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 222
[30] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 25
[31] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 24
[32] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 26
[33] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 45
[34] Jane Creswell, Coaching For Excellence (New York, NY: Alpha Books, 2008), p. 55
[35] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 79
[36] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 79
[37] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 53
[38] Judith Glaser, Conversational Intelligence (Brookline, MA: Bibliomotion, 2014), p. 35
[39] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 40
[40] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 40-41
[41] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 115-117
[42] Martin Seligman, Flourish – A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (New York, NY: Atari Paperback, 2011), p. 16
[43] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 33-37
[44] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 37
[45] Judith Glaser, Conversational Intelligence (Brookline, MA: Bibliomotion, 2014), p. 83
[46] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 136
[47] Scott Eblin, Overworked And Overwhelmed – The Mindfulness Alternative (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014), p. 154
[48] Curt Thompson, Anatomy Of The Soul (Carrollton, TX: Tyndale Momentum, 2010), p. 78
[49] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 28
[50] Charles Stone, Brain Savvy Leaders – The Science Of Significant Ministry (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 98-99
[51] Terry R. Bacon & Laurie Voss, Adaptive Coaching (Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey International, 2012), p. 266-267
[52] Terry R. Bacon & Laurie Voss, Adaptive Coaching (Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey International, 2012), p. 248
[53] Jane Creswell, Coaching For Excellence (New York, NY: Alpha Books, 2008), p. 244
