by Michael J. Marx
A friend of mine is fond of referring to his calling as bringing “shalomification” to the world. His premise is from the Old Testament (e.g., Numbers 6:26) as Shalom refers to peace, well-being, and abundant life. Such a blessing is part of God’s intention for our lives.
Many of us have embraced coaching as a ministry to help others move forward into harmony with God’s will. We help people move forward. This begs the question: “To where?” At the core of non-directive ethical coaching is a premise that the client owns the solution. The coach merely helps facilitate the discovery and accomplishment of that solution.
As I work with clients doing life, business, and executive coaching, I find that ultimately the client’s alignment with God’s will determines their forward success. If you will, coaching is a process of bringing “shalomification” to the client. As they move forward, they become more complete through God’s plan being carried out in their lives.
In this way, the culture, gender, skin color, or political orientation (or a list of characteristics) play no role in the client’s ability to seek, find, and embrace God. The personhood of the client does not actually bring them closer to being in God’s will (see Romans 2:11).
In this age of social justice, belonging and inclusivity, I encourage you to view ALL interactions with clients as an effort to bring “shalomification” to their lives. It would be ethically wrong not to.
Peace to you.
~ Michael
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to write me at michael@newtrailscoaching.com.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://christiancoaches.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Michael-mark.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Michael J. Marx, MBA, EdD, PCC, CMCC. Michael is a Certified Master Christian Coach (CCNI) and specializes in business coaching and corporate consultation. Dr. Marx has served as the leader of the ICF ‘Global Community of Practice on Ethics.’ He also serves on the ICF Independent Review Board and Leads Ethics Code Review Team for the Interpretive Statements. Additionally, he is a past-president of Christian Coaches Network International and the author of Ethics and Risk Management for Christian Coaches (2016).
