Are you experiencing what God has for you—both in your life and as a youth minister? Are you fulfilled and growing? Are you seeing results?
Most of my coaching clients hire me because they aren’t fulfilled. Through my work, I’ve learned how frustrating it is to want to “live and lead from the inside out” but to have no idea how to get started. Here are some big-picture principles I like to share:
1. Discover Your One Thing
If everything else is stripped away in life, what’s the one thing that makes life worth living? Figure this out and you’re on your way to experiencing and achieving what God has for you. By the way, for Christians, “glorifying God” is a pretty good default.
2. Align Your “Being” and “Doing”
How does your one thing impact who you are and what you do? This step helps you create a purpose statement that’s in line with what God wants to accomplish in and through you.
3. Figure Out What You Don’t Want
Next, identify things in your life that won’t help you live out God’s purpose for you. What attitudes and habits need to change? Take action to flush out this stuff.
4. Determine What You Do Want
What do you want to do that will help you realize God’s purpose? You’ll likely notice that these things will be congruent with your one thing.
5. Tap Into the True You
What personality, talents, passions, values, and dreams has God given you? Stephen Covey calls this finding your voice. It’s the uniquely-you way of achieving what you believe God put you here to accomplish. Personality profiles and natural-talent indicators can be very useful here.
6. Get in Gear
You don’t have to have it all together to pursue your calling. If you wait until conditions are perfect, you’ll never get started. Life is a journey, and all big goals are accomplished one step at a time, so start moving today!
7. Take Responsibility for Your Life
In his book The Success Principles, Jack Canfield lists this as the key to true success. If you don’t embrace this principle, the others won’t amount to much. Although God is in control of all of life, he expects us to take 100 percent responsibility for our attitudes and actions.
May these seven steps help you live and lead from the inside out!
Kent leads The Inside Out Youth Worker, a youth ministry training organization that equips youth workers to live and lead from the inside out. To receive his free youth ministry leadership e-zine, visit www.ioyw.com. He lives in Georgia.