In the Co-Creative Coaching model, an important part of the process I take people through involves looking back on various elements of their life experience to discover pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that God has placed in their life — pieces that come together for His greater purpose.
This is where a coaching approach differs from healing ministry, counselling, or therapy.
The only time we explore the past is to look for clues to purpose and destiny — not to heal trauma or wounds (that’s the work of those other disciplines).
Looking back isn’t something coaching usually emphasizes. But it’s incredibly valuable. It helps us understand ourselves, bring clarity to our purpose, and deepen our connection to God by seeing His preparatory work in our lives.
This coaching approach looks for the positive in our history. Seeing our past through this lens helps people feel safe to look at their past, even hopeful.
Imagine seeing dozens of past experiences aligning to form a vision for your future — one so personal and resonant that it feels too good to be true. Imagine this vision is something that is so utterly personal and resonant with your heart, soul and spirit that you find it hard to believe that, that is what God has for you. It is everything you want and more.
Yet, it also feels too big, too scary, and utterly impossible.
This is what we call a highly resonant life vision. Ths is what those that go through the co-creative process receive.
This is what we call a highly resonant life vision. It’s what those who go through the Co-Creative coaching process receive. It’s a transformation so deep it changes how they think and live forever. (If you are reading this and that’s you, please do comment below on this blog!)
A big part of this transformation comes through understanding your past. The “mistakes,” the trauma, the setbacks, the “wrong turns,” the time you think was wasted — God uses it all. He weaves every piece into a beautiful calling that only you can fulfil. No one else on the planet has your combination of experiences, skills, training and story.
Here are three ways you can begin to discover what your past means for your future — and step more fully into God’s redemptive purpose for your life:
1. Resonant Moments
Think about times in your life that stand out as resonant moments. These are times when you felt fully alive and aligned with who you are. You were naturally flowing in your gifts, energized, and vibrant.
These moments hold powerful clues. We sometimes call them destiny events because they reveal so much about your call and mission.
To get started, recall one or two of these times. Reflect on how you felt, and ask yourself:
- What does this show me about what I was created for?
- What do these moments show me are the skills I thrive by using?
- What do these moments show me about my preferred environment?
- Who am I drawn to serve?
- What kind of impact I can bring?
2. Difficulties Overcome
Everyone faces difficulties. Each person’s struggles are unique. One person’s struggle may not be another’s, as we all have different ways and capacities of coping. Each and every struggle which you have overcome or are still overcoming, can end up being redeemed and turned into purpose. This is how God works Whatever you’ve overcome, God can redeem and use for purpose.
When you overcome something, you gain the authority, the capacity and compassion to help others overcome similar challenges.
In my own journey, I left school with zero sense of direction or purpose. As a mixed-culture child in the 1970s, I was often rejected and ridiculed for being different. I didn’t feel I belonged anywhere. I knew which subjects at school I was best at and enjoyed. Only a small part of my call and yours is to do with skills. Mostly it is all about heart. I had no idea how God was going to use all of this as part of my adult journey and call. But He did. My difficulty was not understanding what impact I was made to have and on whom and doing what.
My very area of expertise nowadays is coaching people, organisations and businesses around purpose and identity creating tools and training people to do the same. This is God’s redemptive power. This is an example of how our pasts gets redeemed for his glory.
Ask yourself.
- What difficulties have I worked through that have most shaped who I am today?
- How is God already using me to help, encourage, inspire, or minister to people with similar difficulties?
- What might He be preparing me for next?
3. ‘Mistakes’ Redeemed
Most of us may consider some decisions we have made in our life a mistake. Or maybe we regret certain directions we took? Sometimes we feel that our mistakes, have disqualified us from serving God in a big way. Or we may feel that mistakes or decisions we made have wasted too much time, so now its too late to put these right and do something more fulfilling or more impactful. Maybe we feel utterly ashamed or guilty for certain things we have done.
Not only does God forgive our mistakes, He transforms them into opportunities for His glory.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9
This may be something you have heard a million times before. If you haven’t, please receive it well this first time! You can be coached to understand how God can and will use your mistakes for good. Believing He will is where you start. The Co-Creative process empowers you into greater faith. You can explore what all of this looks like, how these mistakes can be redeemed. This is all part Gods redemptive plan.
A personal example: I chose to stray away from church in my late teens (due to some disillusionment because of church splits etc). I came back in my late twenties.
Was this a ‘mistake’? It was definitely a choice! Do I regret this decision? Yes! I have had some regret, in terms of not giving God my twenties. I could have had so much energy and passion for Him. What does God think about this? He understands why I did what I did. He has totally forgiven me.
How is he redeeming this poor choice I made? He is using so much of my experience, pain and dysfunction in that decade to give me understanding, compassion, language and love for others that are struggling to overcome issues I went through.
My journey of healing and becoming ‘whole’ after that decade, has not only become a source of extreme life, joy, peace and healthiness for me, it has become something I impart to others through my work.
What once felt like wasted time has become the foundation of my ministry.
Ask yourself:
- What ‘mistakes’ do I feel I’ve made?
- How might God be redeeming these for His purposes, for me and through me for others?
It’s never too late to discover how your story is being redeemed for God’s glory. His heart is to make your life a living testimony of His goodness and mercy.
He is a good God. Your life is living proof of it. And there is so much more that He wants to redeem, be brave and start to coach yourself to look for the opportunities in your life from your past.
“Human defiance only enhances Your glory, for You use it as a weapon.”
— Psalm 76:10 (NLT)
If you’d like to experience purpose or identity coaching through the Co-Creative Transformational Coaching model, I’d be delighted to work with you.
Also, check out my 12 week Destiny Activator course which I run Oct to Dec each year.
And check out our Online Coach Training school to equip yourself to coach others in this journey!