Introduction

What if success wasn’t something to be measured, but a state of being? What if success wasn’t a trophy earned after a big break, but an inner compass guiding us forward? Sometimes we can look at success as a temporary moment that follows something that we do. Could you, the reader, entertain my thoughts as I process the idea that success is not a “thing” or a “moment” but that success is a rite of passage? Obtaining a rite of passage involves personal growth, alignment, and a deeper understanding. This is where we, the coach come in.

Success: Rebuilding to Reframe

As coaches, we often pull from our own worldviews that were formed in childhood, and shaped by life experiences we’ve carried season by season, year after year. So when we receive a new understanding about something as powerful as success, we must rebuild before we attempt to reframe.

The Cambridge Dictionary describes success as: the achieving of the results wanted or hoped for. In the Western world, success is often defined by levels of achievement, status, possessions, and independence. In biblical times, the Hebrew word for success would most likely have been tsalach (tsaw-lakh), which has several meanings including: to push forward, to advance, prosper, or break out mightily. This biblical understanding of success is not self-made; it is totally dependent upon the help of Yahweh. Now here is where the Western world concepts and biblical truth connect. In a Western mindset, we follow a plan and work whatever steps are laid out for us to reach a certain level of success. There are countless books published with fancy slogans like “The 3 steps to becoming successful” as an example. However, biblically following God’s principles opens up a door of success that we are led into by His Spirit. You see, we are rebuilding and reframing. Exchanging steps and processes for surrendering to a fundamental truth, which is Christ. This paradigm shift lifts the responsibility of the outcome off of our shoulders and places it into the hands of Christ. This shift takes the hammer and tools out of our hands and allows us to lay prostrate, resisting the urge to control, which breaks away all anxieties, while we come into the beautiful submission of what has already been done. Think of it as stepping into divine timing, rather than constantly searching for the time.

So can we now conclude that our eyes have been opened to this truth? That success is not something we chase, but it is a humble submission to the victory Christ has already won for us! We and our clients get the opportunity to pause and ask: “In this moment, what area of my life is already experiencing success?” Sometimes, success isn’t something we obtain; it’s something we acknowledge.

Coaches as Guides

As Christian coaches, we don’t just help people plan or achieve goals. We help people come to a level of understanding. Knowledge is power. The mind is powerful. With God’s mind, a mere thought, He created the universe. So our role is not to get a client “active”. It is to get them “sound”. Helping our clients identify peace, helps them to identify truth. The truth allows them to walk in purpose. You see, our role is sacred. We partner with God and help people see themselves through the lens of Yahweh. In these lenses are the mysteries of life that are accessible to us all. So success in coaching isn’t about how many check marks our client checks off of a list, but it is through watching them find peace, gain clarity, and walk into their true divine purpose. The way this will look is different for every person. That is why this Holy profession must be partnered with Holy Spirit. Success for one person may be completely different for the next.

When we coach with spiritual awareness, we look beneath the client's perceived goals and ask the necessary deeper questions. Those questions can look like:

Why are you striving?
Where/What are you trusting?
What truth is God inviting you to rest in right now?

This is why discernment is necessary and the presence of God matters in our coaching sessions. Rest and peace do not mean stillness or inactivity. In fact, you can be active and restful. Rest is not about movement, but a heart and mind posture. Matthew chapter 11 and verses 28-30 talk about resting in the promises of God. We have the esteemed honor of showing our clients this beautiful sureness.

Our work is sacred because it brings people back to God’s unforced rhythms of grace while watching God restore their souls. To coach from this deeper place of awareness, we must rely on essential coaching competencies like:

• Establishing Trust and Safety (Competency 4)
• Active Listening (ICF Competency 6)
• Evoking Awareness (Competency 7)

Establishing trust and safety looks like taking off the hat of a judge and extending the hand of a friend. It evokes an atmosphere of vulnerability and truth. It softens the heart of the client and compels them to the love of Christ. God tells us in Jeremiah 31:3 that with love and kindness, He drew us. This is how we become the hands and feet of the Father as coaches. We even see this through the ministry of Christ where He met a woman at the well (John 4), and the woman caught in adultery (John 8). His compassion led to transformation.

Active listening as a Christian coach looks like discernment. We listen not only with our ears but with our spirit. Jesus was able to listen beyond what was being said to meet the dire needs of those he met. We see this in Luke chapter 24 where two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. When Jesus joined them, He didn’t reveal who He was. He didn’t cut them off or insert anything at all. He listened to them until it was His moment to talk. He revealed truth through scripture to them and the truth convicted their hearts. Jesus didn’t rush. He listened.

Evoking awareness is like opening the blinds in a dark room. Jesus did this when He would ask people questions. He asked faith-filled questions that He knew would open their eyes of understanding and bring about transformation. A wonderful illustration of this is when Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29). In that moment Peter received divine revelation from Holy Spirit. Partnering with Christ to ask the right questions can unlock revelation that can change everything for the client.

Conclusion: Redefining the Win

Think about it: how many people are quietly navigating hopelessness, discouragement, or simply feeling lost—because they don’t see themselves as successful? As we redefine success, we realize it’s not about hustle or striving, but surrender.

As coaches, our role is sacred. We don’t diagnose or treat, but we do listen deeply, honor the journey, and help our clients discover the peace of Christ in their present moment. In a culture that celebrates constant motion, we get to be voices that gently ask, “Where is God inviting you to rest?”

We help our clients become like Jesus—resting in the boat, even while the storm rages. That’s success. That’s transformation.

---