Dr. Kim Brazelton (n.d.) explains that it is a basic human drive to have a longing for a purpose and meaning in our lives (American Association of Christian Counselors, n.d.). A personal vision is what you want your life to be about. It is comprised of your life experiences and how God connects the dots to use what we have experienced to glorify him and to serve others – a personal vision can produce spiritual fruit that reaches many leaving a positive impact on many. It is the God-dreams and goals within us that drive us to find fulfillment. It is the one thing that we just cannot help but do (AACC, n.d.). Personally, this is one of my most favorite topics!
Why is this important? Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (King James Bible, 1769/2017). People are wired to have a need for hope for their future – a vision to live for (AACC, n.d). Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, found that those without hope lost the will to live when confined in Nazi concentration camps. However, those who could imagine the possibilities and had hope for their future were able to stay alive. A few prisoners' thoughts and minds could never be controlled even when physical circumstances surrounding them were filled with chaos, injustice, and death. When people are clear on their vision and life purpose, it will propel them to be successful in the hope of things to come. This brings a deep fulfillment where the outcome of our personal vision will glorify God and will help others in the process. The goal of a life coach is to help people achieve the full development of their God-given potential (AACC, n.d.). Orville Wright became clear on his personal vision of flying and changed the world forever (Blackaby & Royall, 2018). Did you know that reporters did not even show up for Orville and Wilbur's first test flights because they did not believe in the Wright brothers (Blackaby & Royall, 2018)? “Most people believed flying was impossible” (Blackaby & Royall, 2018, p. 178). Today, we benefit from his personal vision of flight and we are grateful he kept the vision in front of him. A powerful, personal vision and life purpose will always find its way to reaching others and serving a greater purpose.
Christian life coaching can help a client develop a vision by having intentional conversations to discover patterns in the coachee’s life through the use of powerful questions, prayer, and discernment. Assessments and tools help reveal spiritual gifts, talents, personality types, and motivations. It is important to understand a person's story because out of the painful areas is usually where purpose is birthed. Setbacks do happen and should be planned for (Blackaby & Royall, 2018). If a coachee has lost their vision, a life coach can remind the coachee of their reason for their vision. To do this a coach will use a technique called futuring. Futuring is often used as a means to re-energize the vision. Asking the coachee to visualize what it would be like to see the fulfillment of their vision – who would be there, what would they be doing, how would they feel (Blackaby & Royall, 2018)? Coaches can also remind coachees of how God motivated them in the past when they felt very weary. We can run with our vision and keep it before us which brings a powerful resource called hope. Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it” (King James Bible, 1769/2017)
With Love and Thanksgiving,
Kelly Roberson
Coach, Future Therapist, & Chaplain
Please reach out if I can help you in any way! Click below to contact me:
References
American Association of Christian Counselors. (no date). Coaching as Ministry and Spiritual Care [Film].
King James Bible. (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769)