Pursuing Purpose, Prioritizing Relationship
“When can I meet with God?” was a cry of the sons of Korah in Psalm 42. I can guarantee the songwriter wasn’t looking at his watch when he penned those words. He was reflecting on the condition of his soul. How do you sustain the practice of meeting with God while trying to reach both personal and professional goals? The balance between your hopes and dreams and meeting with God is a delicate one. But one thing we know for sure: meeting with God is the source fruitful undertaking. Our life purpose is grounded in relationship. A healthy identity is rooted in it. Yet the struggle is very real.
My personal experience living and working cross-culturally has highlighted this…
My early years in Central Asia were heavy on the objective side. I thought I was fulfilling my purpose by doing things for God. My sense of identity was connected mostly to the work I was doing. My identity somewhat unraveled when I transitioned because the “assignment” was terminated. Or so I thought. Shortly after the transition, I searched for ways to replace the pursuit of purpose through other areas of focus, such as coaching, pastoring, podcasting, and writing. A perceived loss of identity motivated me to pursue and regain a “for God” posture instead of a “with God” posture, something author Skye Jethani talks about in his book With (a good read by the way). I slowly realized this approach is not sustainable.
It doesn’t lead to the abundant life God has saved me for.
Purposeful work is part of our callings, but certainly not the foundation. The bedrock is relationship, embodied in this cry:
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” - Psalms
And so my prayer has become, “Lord may I prioritize meeting with You over and above my assignment for You.”
Skye continues to make his point…
“He (the Apostle Paul) understood that his calling (to be a messenger to the Gentiles) was not the same as his treasure (to be united with Christ). His communion with Christ rooted and preceded his work for him.”
– With, Reimagining the Way you Relate to God, Skye Jethani
Transitions have a way of messing with our sense of identity, purpose and calling. At the same time transition can be a wonderful opportunity to re-orient ourselves to what really matters. Working with a transitions coach can help you process and prioritize toward a successful transition.
Let’s have a conversation!
I leave you with The Message version of Psalm 42:1-3 and some reflection questions…
“A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, “Will I ever make it— arrive and drink in God’s presence?” I’m on a diet of tears— tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, “Where is this God of yours?””
- Psalms 42:1-3
For reflection:
Think of a time when you were extremely parched. How desperate did you feel for a drink? Have you ever felt that desperate for God? Describe the intense longing. Isaac was a well digger (Genesis 26). His survival depended on it wherever he went. If one dried up he dug another.
What are some wells which have dried up for you, and why?
How and where could you dig some new wells in this season of transition…wells that lend themselves to meeting with God?
The Path to Resilience
In our current context there’s a growing need for resilient workers, leaders and organizations. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficulty. It requires openness to change. But here’s the issue: We don’t change well on our own.
We may even resist change, digging in our heels and grasping for old certainties that don’t exist any longer. The road of resistance keeps us stuck. But forging a path of resilience can set us free. What does this path look like?
DISRUPTION
In seasons of transition and uncertainty, we need voices on the outside to disrupt our thinking by reflecting our thoughts back to us, challenging us to consider why we think and perceive things the way we do. This is the path of resilience: disruption…reflection….learning….action. And that’s hard to do in isolation, as most of us can testify. Been there. Done that.
My wife knows I’m pretty darn ticklish, and she’ll take advantage of that at times. It doesn’t take much effort on her part to make me squirm. But even as a ticklish individual, I can’t tickle myself. Leadership coach Marcia Reynolds states, “For the same reason we can’t tickle ourselves, our brains resist self- imposed testing of thoughts and reactions.” The catalyst for transformation requires engaging a process of disruption from the outside.
In this transition season, do you find yourself welcoming the disruption, or resisting it?
REFLECTION AND LEARNING
What could opening ourselves up to this process look like? As we allow more space and time to reflect and process the change, we do well to invite outside “disrupters” into our lives who bring the gift of presence, active listening and powerful questioning. When we have the courage to invite disruption, the stories we tell ourselves - our personal narratives – can change. In the process, we begin to learn and grow outside our perceived limits, moving all the while toward greater resilience.
What’s been your personal narrative through this transition season, the story you’ve been telling yourself? Has it been one of resistance or openness? Is it leading to resilience or feelings of stuckness? These personal narratives impact our emotional and spiritual well-being, our relationships and organizational cultures. Engaging a process of disruption, reflection, learning and action lends itself to changing the narrative and creating a culture of personal and professional resilience.
ACTION
The path to resilience…disruption, reflection and learning…combine to create the clarity and momentum necessary for positive Spirit-led action to take place. But the process takes time. The temptation is to leap into action too soon, hoping to avoid the pain and uncertainty by making it to the other side of transition. As a result, the process of learning and growth gets sabotaged. Here are some potential focus areas to consider as you slow down, invite disruption and move toward greater resilience:
Revisiting personal and organizational core values.
Soaking in God’s Word regularly…renewing our minds.
Sorting and sifting ideas and options by engaging in a season of discernment.
Confronting Identity issues and aligning what I do with who I am.
Learning new strategies for consistently showing up and taking action.
Recognizing and removing obstacles to growth and development.
Focus and self-discipline….leading ourselves with greater intentionality.
Prioritizing what matters most and creating strategies to achieve desired outcomes.
Some questions to consider…
Which of the above focus areas could take on a community or organizational approach? Which ones are more personal, individual, and reflective?
Who could you invite into your personal journey toward greater agility as you consider these focus areas? A coach, counselor, spiritual director, mentor, trusted friend?
What path are you on? The one of resilience or resistance?
If you’re finding yourself resisting rather than engaging the process of resilience, I’d love to explore some options with you. Let’s have a conversation. Schedule a discovery call with me or simply send me an email.
I hope to see you on the path of resilience!
Tim
Tools for Transition
Join us for this free workshop that will equip you with the tools you need to have a successful transition.
Hey friend,
As I write these words, the heat wave continues to impact scores of folks across the U.S. And tricky transitions are heating up for a lot of people as well.
There are many reasons why we find ourselves in transition:
Changing ministry roles
Career pivots
Shifting routines and rhythms. Summertime is famous for that!
Host countries re-opening, requiring some planning and preparation for what’s next.
Others remain in waiting mode but want to maximize this “middle zone” of transition.
And the list continues…
I want you to be the first to know about a great opportunity to equip yourself and your team with some resources and strategies for navigating transition. Join me for one of my Tools for Transitions Virtual Workshops happening this summer.
Are you in the middle of or anticipating a transition?
Are you feeling stuck or uninspired in transition?
Wheels spinning? No traction?
Looking for some clarity in the chaos of transition?
Need some tools and resources for some fresh perspective and a path forward?
We’ve all been there.
In this 60-minute Tools for Transition interactive workshop you will…
· Unpack some key components of transition
· Process your transition
· Begin to plan & prioritize around your transition
· Learn how to leverage the growth opportunities in transition
“Tim really helped us navigate a difficult transition overseas in the middle of the pandemic. From knowing what things we could do to leave well and arrive well (given lockdown situations), to understanding how we have different styles and paces in dealing with change, to learning how to leverage our strengths, Tim was encouraging, supportive and flexible.”
— Annie and Dan
“Encompass life coaching helped me solidify my vision of the future. During a time of transition Tim was able to help bring clarity to the direction I felt I needed to go. I believe in the power of Life coaching and Tim is an excellent coach.”
– Adam S., Sacramento Youth Center
“Tim has been an essential partner in helping me process my vocational transition. His life experience was beneficial in understanding my situation and empathizing through the questions I was asking myself. He was able to help me see things that I wasn’t aware of.”
– Brian Albright, Director of Business Development
Don’t stumble through this transition season alone, ill-prepared and unequipped when support, encouragement and help is available. I hope to see you in one of the workshops. Together we will dive into what a successful transition can look like for you.
Cost: FREE
Includes:
· Free Access to my Needs and Values Assessment prior to workshop
· 60 minute workshop
· Bonus materials
Register for your chosen date/time below:
You can also take a step toward better resilience by scheduling a complementary discovery coaching session HERE.
See you at the workshop,
Tim Austin