Unless the Lord Builds Your Coaching Practice – Reminder

Sometimes we need a reminder. We feel called; we start out on the path. Sometimes things don't look like we expect them to ... so we wonder, did we miss God?  Or did He change His mind?  

No. You didn't miss His will for your life ... and God does not change His mind ... but maybe you forgot to include Him with important details? Perhaps this message isn't for you but it could be for someone you know ...

I initially wrote this a few years ago ​but the message is timeless, because God's plan, calling and vision for you is irrevocable. (Romans 11:29) The plan didn't change when things didn't work out.  All it means is you need to press in, closer ... Now is your time.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

Do you feel God has called you to Christian life coaching? Are you excited about the potential success of your coaching practice or business? Have you thought that if you just affiliate with certain others, that your success is a certain conclusion, or at least you dramatically increase your odds? How about accreditation? Are you convinced that aligning with a huge coaching organization will help you succeed?

If you answered yes to any of these, think again.

Are you aware that secular and new age coaches are going out of business at record rates? That is because coaching is a luxury, not a necessity to their clients. When times are tough, the extras are always first to go.

However, Christian coaches have never been as busy. The reason is that when Christians have difficult times, they seek the Lord and the wisdom of His Word. Consequently, they seek authentic Christian coaches.

Unless the Lord builds the house.

God is using these times of uncertainty and financial distress to reach followers and draw us near in record numbers.

As the administrator of a major Christian coach training school, I frequently interview those seeking enrollment. Occasionally the question of accreditation comes up. PCCCA is accredited by ICE, a Christian credentialing organization, whose predecessor pre-dates coaching.

I am asked whether our graduates are ever held back because we are not accredited by one of the large, secular / new age (read godless) coaching organizations. "To the contrary," I reply. "Our clients are actually relieved to know we have authentic Christian accreditation. If prospective Christian clients know about accreditation at all, they usually find it disingenuous when someone voluntarily chooses to come under the authority of a non-Christian organization."

Unless the Lord builds the house.

Sometimes we will get asked if we include NLP in our training. Recently we have seen some apostate Christian coaches promote NLP as part of their practice or training. For those who are unfamiliar, NLP stands for neuro-linguistic programming. NLP is used to elicit certain behaviors from clients with the belief that certain words trigger certain predictable responses. NLP is nothing more than human manipulation of a process that must, if authentic and correct, belong to the Holy Spirit. If you find someone out there using NLP who claims to be a Christian coach, perhaps what they mean is yes, they go to church, but in reality they know little about God's Word because NLP is contrary to biblical teaching.

The Holy Spirit inside a believer guides their actions, their heart and their mind; not some external, deliberately calculated and mechanized trigger. So no, PCCCA does not include NLP nor should any Christian.

If we subscribed to the validity of NLP, we would be saying God is not enough. By our actions we would be saying God's Word says one thing but we know better. Oh do we really?!

The Word says our God is sufficient to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory. One either believes that, or they don't.

Unless the Lord builds the house.

We must stop the compromise. We need to read, know and use the Word of God. Nothing can replace that. No plan is as good as God's plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We need to pray and listen when God speaks into our life through His Holy Spirit. Then and only then can we be assured of our direction, plans and goals.

Have you heard from God lately? If not, then take some time daily to get alone and pray. You don't need to be formal. Just speak to God like you are talking to a dear friend. Be honest about what concerns you. He understands you because He made you. Then be still and listen. Our lives are so busy these days, that it takes a real effort to set aside this time, but you can do it. Yes you can. We can always make time for what is important.

Well, you can listen to God unless, it's all about you. Another interpretation of the word, "vain" used in the above scripture from Psalms 127:1 means "vanity". God is not going to bless a project so that you can take all the credit. He will call you to do things you have no idea how to do. That is when your faith has to kick in. Nothing at all in God's Word says you get to know how to do everything before you set out. He will show himself great only in our weakness. So embrace your deficiencies and weaknesses because then you will see great things from God and His plan will be accomplished.

Unless the Lord builds the house.

God loves you and wants you to make the most of the life He has given you. If He has called you to Christian life coaching, He already knows who needs what you have to offer. But He won't lift you up as a coach, model or mentor, until you get your life in line with Him and His Word. And you can only get there if you have a relationship with the Lord. You can only fulfill your divine destiny if you listen to God and allow His Holy Spirit to lead you. And you can only provide the best service to your clients if you stop compromising your standards. Accept nothing less than the best and do not waste even one single moment getting started.

Unless the Lord builds your coaching practice.

© 2015-2017 by Leelo Bush PhD

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