What Does it Mean to Love God With Wholehearted Intentionality?

Last week, we introduced three foundational qualities needed to become a Christian mentor, professional supervisor, or coach: Mature Discipleship, Seasoned Christian Leadership and Healthy Well-being. Each is essential to the work, and in the coming weeks, we will look at the behavioural expressions of each of these qualities, beginning with Mature Discipleship and the expression Love God with Wholehearted Intentionality. This is a great place to start because a sincere love for God guides most Christian leaders to becoming a coach/mentor/supervisor in the first place. It is the cornerstone of why we do what we do.

I have found that there are two ways that show wholehearted and intentional love for God.

Be a Genuine Person

Be real. Know yourself and present yourself honestly to others. We can begin by thinking about our foundation… Why am I doing this? I am here because I chose to follow Jesus, to receive his love and share it with others. It’s important to remember how our spiritual journey started, the time when there was a decision to embrace the Lord for oneself. Even if you grew up within the faith and have always considered yourself a follower of Christ, there is a point when you make faith your own. When was this for you? Meditate on this time, how it changed you, what it felt like, and what the circumstances were.

Another question to ask yourself is, Why am I still doing this? In other words, to look at our motivations. We should not be here to achieve recognition, wealth or power. If our journey began with a love for Christ and a love for others, that should still be the primary motivation. 

Show Authentic Leadership

Engagement with others should flow out of a relationship with God, rather than a need to achieve something or be recognised. If your interaction with others is because of a deficit in your world, you are using them transactionally to achieve what you want. Leadership that stems from God, however, means that you are participating in God’s plan. You understand that the plan is bigger than you and what you can see and understand, but you can see what God has already done in your life and trust He is using you to change the lives of others. 

Authentic leadership is transformative. Once you have felt God’s transformation in yourself, it is natural to want to share this and see it in others. A mature disciple leading from an authentic place understands that loving God leads to loving others and that loving others means guiding them on their journey with God. This is the foundation of discipleship and the Great Commission. 

Reflection Questions:

• How am I and Jesus? What is the quality of our relationship? 

• How am I doing with my wholehearted intentionality? 
• What do I really want? Is it about numbers, fame, or recognition? Or is it because I want to help others because that is what God is calling me to do? 
• Are my interactions with others transactive or transformative? 
• What are my responses to stress around me? (If you are feeling an emotional depletion- reflect on how you got here).
• What am I willing to let go of? What am I willing to hold onto? 

What’s next: who are you having these conversations with? Contact us  https://vervelead.com/contact/