Author: Wick

Last week I was involved in some training going on in the Free Methodist Church in the Midwest area. It’s something you may have heard of in other business or ministry contexts. It’s the art of “Coaching”. Based on a book called “Coaching 101“, we each began a relationship with a coach a few months ago, who is going to guide us through the process of becoming a coach ourselves.

I have to be honest, I was a bit cynical at first. I think mainly because it sounded very much like the kind of “development” found in my sales experience between managers and salespeople under them who they wanted to develop through discovering their goals, and what it might take to achieve them.

Even when I began reading the book, and at points during the class itself…it sounded like something that rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like we were forcing a system and technique onto something Christ said should be motivated by love – not a desire for “successfully multiplying our discipleship efforts”.

I still believe it can be something that’s approached in the wrong way, and with the wrong motivations. But the experiences and heart shared throughout the week, and throughout coaching sessions have definitely given new light to the possibilities for God to work through these efforts. It offers something incredibly counter cultural – a conversation environment where a “coach” is purposefully turning it towards the other, and towards the other discovering what the Other is guiding them towards.

It’s a great pattern of conversationing to follow: to come along side someone you care about and help them discover what God is doing in their life, simply by taking the time to have someone reflect back/flesh out in words what has been/is/could be happening in their life. To establish what actions can help move in that direction, and accountability to see it through.

But it’s also been/being a great reminder for everyday conversations with family, friends, and those who simply need to be talked to in a way that’s different from how most people in their day talk with them. Which is such a simple concept, you would think someone who spends a lot of time thinking about Jesus would have made the connection to his conversational relating areas of life. But nope. I’m generally horrible at it. I like to talk, and I like to add my 2 cents to things, finishing people’s sentences and taking spotlights.

I pray that I can talk to people I care for differently on a more consistent basis.

I was reminded yesterday of a very important aspect in who we are as Kingdom people. People who are living in the life we’ve been set free to live because of what God has been/is doing/will do in Jesus Christ. I will try and summarize it horribly. 🙂

We are called to forgive, which is, in a sense, letting go of the past. We are called to release from owing anything to us, those who have offended or wronged us in any way. The Spirit of Jesus Christ, who has forgiven us and released us, steps in where this can be difficult for us….giving life to our forgiveness.

We are also called to not worry about tomorrow. “Each day has enough troubles of it’s own”. The day of the Lord comes “like a thief in the night”. Everything we read is about being ready, but not being ready for someday way down the road that we’ll try and figure out when exactly it’s arriving. We are called to be ready…TODAY.

Which brings us to today. “Give us THIS DAY our daily bread.” We pray for God to give us what we need for today. We live, today. As followers of Christ, we are not bound by hurt or revenge from the past, nor are we anxious for the future. We exist in today. God transforms in today. God offers newness today. TODAY is a gift.

When we recognize TODAY as the gift that it is, it allows us to LIVE TODAY differently than the world around us. The world that is begging to be set free from the chains of yesterdays. The world that is curled up in a ball in the corner about what might come tomorrow. We stand in the midst and yell “TODAY!”, giving thanks to a God who is making all things new as we yell.

At the same time, we are a people with an amazing history and covenant story between God and His people who have been and are being used to reach all of creation with His good news.

We are also a people with a future, called to live and embody the hope of a tomorrow where God has gone ahead of us. We are to be responsible, and care for what is to come.

But we live TODAY as people with healthy relationships to the past, present, and future….in the context of Jesus Christ. May we breathe slowly today….living within it’s rhythms and measures each minute we’re given….