Christian Life Coaching is a rewarding career where we have the privilege of supporting clients to overcome obstacles keeping them from where they are to where God has called them to be.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Christian Life Coaches support clients in navigating long-lasting solutions as they are in step with the leading of the Spirit as in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit”
And to be effective Christian Life Coaches, it’s important to maintain presence with our clients, which the ICF includes as one of its eight core competencies.
ICF defines maintaining presence as being “fully conscious and present with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, grounded, and confident.”
Let’s examine how staying curious helps us maintain presence with our clients so they can flourish into all God created them to be.
An important element of maintaining presence is to stay curious. When we stay curious, we’re partnering with our clients rather than operating from a place of expertise. Bear in mind the client takes the lead in their coaching session, not the coach. As Christian Life Coaches, we know that the Lord is our ultimate leader, and to trust our “inner-knowing” is trusting the prompting of His Holy Spirit.
ICF compares staying curious to “dancing in the moment” with our clients. It involves asking thoughtful questions from a place of curiosity as we seek to understand rather than for the purpose of gathering information.
Maintaining a coaching presence is more about being than about doing.
Imagine having a client who’s writing a book but having difficulty staying on task. Our next coaching step can focus on “doing,” which might include setting up an accountability plan for when the client needs to sit down and write. The client thinks they’re lacking discipline and forces themselves to write at set times – but their heart isn’t in it.
Or, we can focus on “being,” and get to the heart of the issue. Upon asking curious questions, the client realizes that God has a different topic for them to write about. This revelation ignites a renewed passion for their writing project because it aligns with God’s will for them.
Do you see the difference?
Examples of curious questions can include:
· How do you feel about that?
· What message are you telling yourself?
· How does this impact your life?
· What are your thoughts about this revelation?
Notice how the following questions sound more like (intrusive) information-gathering questions:
· What happened?
· Can you afford that?
· Are you planning to lose weight?
Curious questions seek to understand. It also helps our coaching clients to become increasingly more self-aware by moving them from their heads to their hearts. And isn’t that just like Jesus to address hearts for transformation?
If you would like to learn more about becoming a Christian Life Coach, reach out to us at the Center for Christian Coaching today.