Surrendering to God’s Plan
In Tom Camacho’s “Mining for Gold,” he shares his own journey of what I call leading whole, which is leading from a deep belief that who you are, as you are, is complete, whole, and lacking nothing. It sounds easy enough but unfortunately, it isn’t. Camacho talks about this challenge we face regarding believing the lies of the world rather than the Word of God, and how these then become beliefs that form our identity. He talks about his own failures and outlines a pathway to freedom for us all through Christ-centered leadership coaching.
While the book didn’t wow me, I share a lot of the same beliefs and feel really grateful to be reading it at this particular point in time, where God’s been doing some deep excavation and refining in me. When I started school last semester I was in the middle of a bit of a meltdown – actually, it was a pretty gigantic breakdown but one which I knew was a breakthrough in the making. In fact, that was part of why I joined this program in the first place. For the last couple of years God had been telling me to stop everything I was doing and focus solely on Him because where He wanted me to go next, I needed to be developed further with and in Him.
At first, it was a small nudge and subtle invitation to delve deeper into the patterns I was seeing amongst my coaching clients. It didn’t matter if I was sitting with a young professional or CEO of a company, all the issues they’d bring were rooted in the same thing; some form of not being “enough”. At the core, I knew this was about identity and a sense of separation from God. The solution felt aligned with my message of leading whole but the problem came with how to develop that sense of wholeness, when wholeness, at least for me, was a journey rooted in God. While I knew I needed to pivot my coaching niche and begin relaunching my work around a more Christ-centered, Spirit-led model, I struggled to do so in a generative way.
Camacho talks about how you cannot lead anyone where you have not gone yourself. Despite spending the last decade immersed in meaningful leadership work with change makers, I knew it was only touching the surface of the true depth of love, peace, and freedom God wanted to release. I also knew that if I was feeling called to support others in deeper levels of their walks, I too would need to go to even deeper levels of mine by being radically obedient to His word and pausing my work so He could permeate the darkest corners of my heart, helping me lead from the purity of agape motives.
Ever since the first time I heard God tell me to stop and focus on deepening my knowledge of His Kingdom, I’d close down a program and spend more time in prayer and fasting, however, when bills came and I needed to pay salaries I’d eventually end up right back where I started – moving time with God back down to a second or third priority. I can see now how that was testing my ability to trust and fully embody what I know to be true, which is that God is my source. While I’ve failed many times, I’d like to think I am growing because here I am walking in faith and while I still feel like a hot mess on so many days, it’s liberating to have first-hand insight into what it actually takes to carry the cross, remove all idolatry and surrender to God.
So much of Camacho’s message affirms what I have witnessed as challenges to leadership development and what I’ve intuitively known as the way forward. In part of the book he talks about how we are all in search of answers around our identity, our design, and our calling but we look for them in all the wrong places. We go to self-help and leadership development books or coaches but most of the materials we seek for support are flawed since they begin with self, rather than God.
It all started with God ( being of gold, made in His image), remains with God ( leaving the work up to the Holy Spirit as our Helper), and will end with God ( our ultimate purpose being to glorify Him by being vessels for our natural design to shine). The sooner we can surrender to God as both the miner and refiner, the faster we’ll begin to heal and find freedom.
I’ve now realized that this is the only work of developing leaders that really matters. As I battled whether to make this pivot into more explicitly kingdom-based work or not, I felt a great deal of urgency as God reminded me that there are so many wonderful leadership coaches out there and also many wonderful pastors, however, there are not many people who can be a bridge between the world and His kingdom. But these are my unique giftings and so many hearts are hungry for God but have felt disconnection or rejection from organized religion, leading them to feel alone and unsupported in their walk with God.
Taking the last couple of months to pause my work, join this doctoral program, and spend some time away with God were just a few of the action steps I took towards obedience to God as He reveals what He wants for me in this next chapter of life. I look forward to the ongoing insight and accountability I’ll receive for how best to reshape my work as a leadership coach in a way that repositions Jesus at the center since mining for gold is an ongoing battle and the only true sustainable answer is to facilitate room for the Holy Spirit to take lead.
For those of you who don’t currently work in a faith-based setting, I’m curious if you’ve felt a calling to do so, in any way shape, or form. I’m specifically curious to hear if any other entrepreneurs have built a business around your Calling.
About the Author
Akwese
10 responses to “Surrendering to God’s Plan”
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I am applauding your pause and pivot towards faith-based leadership coaching. The pastors I know who have participated in Christian coaching are overwhelmingly positive about the experience. People are so hungry to be heard. How might this shift impact your future life?
Thanks, Julie. I don’t know if there’s enough space here to answer your question ha. However, this transition has already impacted a lot. People who know me and have worked with me before know I am a person of faith and I talk about spirituality all the time, but pivoting in this way is really assuming a whole new level of authority and ownership, publically. It’s causing me to step up and clean house in so many things I didn’t realize needed to be released, torn down, and/or made new. Ultimately this is all the refining process and I trust that whatever is next will be far greater than what I can even imagine.
Akwése,
Knowing your profession, I have been looking forward to reading your thoughts on Camacho. I did not expect to get a raw personal reflection of your challenges in changing your plans and career over the last few months. Thanks for your honesty. I am excited to hear how these changes impact the Kingdom over the next couple of years.
I have never been an entrepreneur but I was a Fire Captain in San Jose, CA where I was top step in salary, with a great retirement and amazing benefits. My wife didn’t have to work and we lived comfortably. It was my dream job and I thought I would stay until retirement. Then, the Holy Spirit directed me towards a life of ministry in Kenya. We sold all our belongings (all but 10 boxes) and moved to Kenya. We knew it was exactly what God had asked us to do. Yet, I still remember standing in Nairobi at midnight with all our tired kids and our 10 boxes questioning God (in not the best language). It has been nine years now. I still miss the excitement and comradery of the Fire Department. My pay is now laughable, our benefits are lousy and I will likely work until I am eighty. Even still, I know this is exactly where God wants me to be. He has provided all along the way and has blessed us when we least expected it. God continues to show me the reason for placing me in this place at this time. May God bless you as you seek him and may he give you the peace that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Ha! Adam, thank you so much for sharing this! Indeed it is so true that the best place to be is where God calls us to be, for there He will always make provision. Thank you for this testimony. I know God has used you and your family to touch so many lives in ways that could not have been done without following Him in this way.
Hi Akwése!
Again, I love your vulnerability. One of the things that I appreciate about your journey is how you listen and follow God’s prompting. you write, “Taking the last couple of months to pause my work, join this doctoral program, and spend some time away with God were just a few of the action steps I took towards obedience to God as He reveals what He wants for me in this next chapter of life.” I know you know the importance of rest and taking a step back because you are doing it. Just curious – when you coach your clients, do you push for rest? The importance of it is so overshadowed by the desire to succeed. I am a huge proponent of rest! Thanks for your post!
Thanks, Chris! Rest is actually one of the words God spoke to me at the beginning of this past year. I was promised rest for 2024 if I did certain things in 2023 and so this year I am excited to lean more into this promise through the practice of radical obedience. That said, you asked about clients, and if rest is something I stressed with them. What’s crazy is that my focus with changemakers was on helping them build resilience and avoid burnout, so yes rest was key! We’d explore rest as a form of resistance ( especially for BIPOC ) and while I thought I was pretty good at incorporating rest into my daily life, Covid /lockdowns really did a number on me. I had to face the reality that so many of my self-care practices were simply bandaids holding together a multitude of unprocessed things needing to be addressed. Anyway, I won’t go on but I appreciate this reminder to rest as it’s one I must be intentional in practicing.
You can “go on” anytime with me about rest!! Its hugely important to me. 🙂
Thanks Akwése!
Ha, thanks, Chris! Well, I certainly look forward to gleaning more from you on this when ya’ll come for your visit 😊💛
Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing your journey, Akwése. What is something you have learned about your own identity and sense of belonging in this process? May you continue to find deep rest and joy as you courageously take time to refocus.
Great question! In short, everything points to God — I am only here to be a vessel and if I’m not allowing myself to be used by submitting to God as the senior partner leading each step, then what am I really doing? I’ll only be making unnecessary struggles for myself. There is so much peace in truly embodying the power and authority I’ve been given as a child of God and co-creator with Him. It’s certainly a process but when I remember whose I am and meditate on what that truly means I can be confident in my identity and root in an unshakable sense of belonging, no matter where I am or what’s going on around me.