One of the deepest and most transformational parts of kingdom coaching is when we coach identity.
So much of what we struggle with, as believers, and what holds us back, is a lack of knowing our true identity. Our true identity is what God made us for originally has now redeemed us to be, by His work on the cross. It’s His original design for us. We get to be victorious, glorious, royal, priests, kings, queens, sons and daughters to name but a few of the positions He has created for us to live in.
However, many of our mind-sets have not been renewed and are still influenced by our background. For example; what people have told us, what we have or have not achieved, the media, past experiences. All of these play a part in who we believe we are.
Coaching identity in our Kingdom Coaching model, covers several areas, such as; clarifying your purpose and calling, celebrating who you are becoming, encountering God to show you how He sees you specifically and uniquely, and renewing and aligning mind-sets to Biblical truths. All of these areas of coaching identity help build confidence in the truth of who God created us to be. This type of transformative coaching helps to lead people to reach their fullest potential.
Let’s look at how we increase confidence and align those we coach to Biblical truths about their identity.
Perhaps one of the most challenging journeys in life is finding our confidence in healthy places. As we go along, year on year, we begin to learn what to put our confidence in and what not to. We gain confidence in our unique areas of strength. However, even the most confident person on the outside has areas they do not feel completely confident and self-assured in.
As Christians we know that we must put our confidence in God and who He says we are. Actually applying that in our lifelong journey is not always easy. One way we coach identity, is to look at Biblical principles on our identity and build coaching sessions around these. Applying coaching skills to these Biblical principles on identity, allows us to significantly enhance awareness of true identity. As identity coaches we can then help those we coach, to apply these truths to their lives.
For example, in Ephesians 2:10 – New Living Translation (NLT), the Bible says: For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Here is a coaching style meditation you can create around this verse;
When you think of the word ‘masterpiece’ what do you think of?
What is special about a masterpiece?
What value does a masterpiece have?
When you think of yourself as a masterpiece what feelings do you have?
In what way could you be a ‘masterpiece’ that God created? (or ‘God’s workmanship’ or God’s ‘handiwork’ to use different translations)
What are you already aware of in you that is of ‘masterpiece’ quality?
Now, ask Father God, who created you, His ‘masterpiece’, to show you how He created you as a masterpiece?
Ask Him, how do you see me as a masterpiece?
Ask Him to tell you more.
Now, ask God to show you what to do with any areas you do not feel a masterpiece in.
Think of an area you are currently struggling with. How does being a masterpiece shift your perception of this area.
The coaching identity model that we teach uses many different coaching exercises which bypass the mind, access the heart and enable people to encounter God in fresh ways, allowing God to speak directly to them about how He sees them. When people hear God speak to them personally and specifically around their identity, it breaks old paradigms and allows them to see more truth about who they really are.
The meditation above, is just one example of this. The transformation is most noticeable when someone is coached through these exercises by a trained coach rather than self-coaches. The coach brings all the coaching attitudes and mind-sets to the conversation that create a safe environment to explore. (These would include; honouring whatever comes up for the person, parking the coach’s ‘agenda’ and opinions, and giving the person space to express themselves.)
The result is a deep shift in a person’s paradigm about who they believe they are. In the most deepest place of connection with the truth, the coachee is invited to hear from God personally by asking God specific questions that relate to their identity. The results are that people encounter God on deeper levels than they ever have before. God in His infinite mercy and love speaks into our hearts in the language that He knows we will understand. This type of connection trumps any connection a coach can bring. As an identity coach, we simply facilitate this life changing connection without having to fully know what is going on with the person we are coaching. When coaching at this deep level, sometimes we find no words are present, but God communicates deep love and connection in ways that only the coachee and Him would ever know or understand.
The results of coaching identity are deep and long lasting. Fully knowing who we belong to, what He thinks of us, and how we are exquisitely made in His image grows our confidence to take authority in areas where our father wants us to. It brings our belief systems in line with the truth that God has given us about who we are. It build’s people’s faith and connection with God.
Its’ a joyous part of what we do as Kingdom coaches, where we combine the power of coaching, The Bible and the power of the Spirit to redeem and activate people in all they were created to be.
If you are a trained coach and want to find out more about our advanced coaching tools to coach identity we run an Online course every Autumn – click here for information.