Coaching focuses on helping people become what they were born to be. Christianity has a unique perspective on destiny that is both personal and corporate, sacrificial and fulfilling. Concentrating on personal happiness and ignoring sacrificial commitment, or focusing exclusively on our individual destiny without understanding its connection to the body of Christ are both ways we sell ourselves short. Below are some fundamental assumptions a Christian coach makes about destiny: 

1)    You have a God-given destiny. Life has meaning because God made you for something. The purpose of life is to reach for that unique calling (Eph. 2:10).

2)    You were specially designed for your destiny. It isn’t an arbitrary task given to you by God—it springs out of your personality, gifts, experiences and make-up. When you are walking in your destiny, it fits you like a glove. The desires of your heart reflect God’s purpose for your life (Ps. 37:4).

3)    Your destiny is something you are, not something you do. It is not a predetermined, static endpoint you can miss; but a dynamic, evolving interplay between what we were born to be and what you’ve done with your life thus far. The more you become who you were made to be, the more you’ll do what you were born to do (Eph. 1:4-5).

4)    Your whole life prepares you for your destiny. Every event and circumstance has meaning, because God leverages each experience to help you accomplish His purpose for your life. This refining transforms you into the image of Christ and prepares you to be part of His bride (Rom. 8:28).

5)    Your destiny is bigger than you. Our ultimate fulfillment comes not from pursuing happiness for ourselves, but from bringing life to others for the sake of the Kingdom. If your dream doesn’t involve serving others in a way that stretches you to your limits and beyond, it isn’t big enough. It really is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

6)    You must die to fulfill your destiny. While God’s desire is that we live an abundant life, a direct pursuit of happiness can never reach it. True joy only comes through a sacrificial death to self and a fundamental realign of our wills with God’s purposes. Only those who lose their life will truly find it (John 12:24-25).

7)    Living your destiny brings productivity and fulfillment. When you do what you were born to do, you function with maximum effectiveness and exceptional joy in the doing. Having fun without serving productively does not satisfy. Producing fruit without joy in the process is soul deadening. Productivity with fulfillment is the symptom of a life aligned with its destiny (III John 1:4).

Tony Stoltzfus is an author, leadership coach, master coach trainer and director of the Leadership Metaformation Institute. Additional information on this topic can be found in Tony’s book, Leadership Coaching.