God as Our Life Coach

How God directs our paths as the ultimate Life Coach

This article follows Suffering and Challenges 

Wither we are dealing with unjust suffering or challenges we can access wisdom from God and be guided. We can move from misery and hopelessness to a superabundant life. 

Graham Cooke has powerful teachings about this process. If you are serious about tapping into all God has for you I highly recommend you get his books or teachings. (The one thing I will say about his work is he emphasizes God using our suffering to impart upgrades. He isn’t as clear about it as I would like but at the root of his teachings is also the concept that God is only a bringer of good things and only uses bad situations to our advantage.)

5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind (Leb - Inner man/SOUL) (upgrade your soul so you can have unrestrained faith is God) and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6 In all your ways (journeys, doings) know (intimately experience God personally), recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (Your path will be pleasing.) Proverbs 3 (AMP) (Elaboration added see the Strongs.)

This is a powerful verse. It’s saying that we need to have full faith in God in our heart and we will be able to walk out life with purpose and steadily move towards our dreams and promises. The key is to upgrade our soul so our faith and expectation align with him. 

We must Abide

7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts (the truth of christ be rooted and grow in your soul), 

Ask (petion, demand) whatever you will (Desire), and it shall be done for you (come to pass). 

John 15:7 (AMP) (Elaboration added see the Strongs.)

The word abide here is a profound word. It’s not only speaking of waiting and enduring it’s a word that also means living. It’s make a home and dwelling on a place. Like how a farmer picks a plot of land and works it and builds and makes it their home. The word abide has the sense of security and peace that comes from having a place to call your own. So it’s speaking of being come rooted in jesus through daily intimacy. 

This verse is saying that as we upgrade our soul with the truth and experience of Jesus we will have more and more power to actively ask for the desires of our hearts and have our wildest dreams come true.

Co Laboring with God

God calls us to be proactive with making our promises real.

28 We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together (in synergy) and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love (agape) God and are called according (walking out day by day) to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:28 (AMP)

This verse is saying that as we walk day by day in agreement and synergy and love with God and his purpose for us all good things will work together for our good. 

Getting our Soul Healed so we can Live our Dreams

The following verses call us to constantly upgrade our soul by encountering Jesus. And as we upgrade we have practical access to all the riches or heaven. 

We upgrade and heal our soul by accessing the power of jesus while tapping into the riches of heaven through the manifestations of God’s presence:

16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty, miraculous, power (dunamis) in the inner man (soul) by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

The more intimacy we have with Christ the more faith we have to call down miracles from heaven:

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses[f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power (dunamis) that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

21 To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Ephesians 3 AMP (Elaboration added see the Strongs.)

We are powerful to bring about our Promises NOW

To sum this all up, God does not bring about suffering but he will allow us to be challenged. 

Instead of passively waiting for God to do something we are supposed to actively work with God to bring about our promises.  We work with God to remove Sin, curses and blocks that hinder God’s blessing in our life. 

We must get wisdom and strategy from God for what to do. We must get our soul healed through intimacy and time in the presence of God. That makes us more like Jesus and we have access to Faith and wisdom and the power of Jesus to call our promises from heaven to manifest of earth. We work with God to remove Sin, curses and blocks that hinder God’s blessing in our life. 

Yes it is work but it’s better than sitting around jaded and hopeless for the rest of our lives while things get worse and worse.

I am going to elaborate on practical simple ways to get your should healed and remove blocks and access wisdom in other posts. 

Suffering and Challenges

The difference between Suffering and Challenges

This Article follows Waiting on Gods Timing

There are so many circumstances and situations in which we suffer or are challenged however they are not the same. In some cases we may need to really press into God to know if it’s just a tough challenge or actual unjust suffering. Sometimes it’s a combo of both, but there are distinctive factors that will let you know one from the other. 

What is suffering?

Suffering is when we lack the basic needs for the existence God has called us to. Suffering in in Justice because it is cruel and wrong and no the will of God. 

All suffering is caused by Sin and the Effects of Sin NOT God. 

The effects of sin are soul wounds, All types of curses, natural repercussions and demonic torment (which only has the power to affect us when we are marked by sin.)

What are Challenges?

When we undergo circumstances that may be difficult or even painful but they are not by their nature destructive. They are circumstances that strengthen us by trying us.

Challenges can be brought about by God’s guidance (the more so when we are actively participating with God) or simply as the result of circumstances or actions we take. 

Health

Sickness

ALL sickness, disease and bodily injury is suffering. God’s desire is for us to be whole and healthy and eventually pass away peacefully in our sleep. Until Then God’s Will is for us to be healthy in every way. Free of Sickness, a healthy natural weight and with all our bodily systems in balance. Anything short of that is NOT of God’s heart and is from the Enemy. We must reject ANY Lie that contradicts that. See this article about God’s willingness to heal. 

Delayed Healing

God does NOT delay healing. His heart is for us to be healed INSTANTLY. Jesus is the ultimate representation of God and Jesus healed instantly. There were times when Jesus told be people do something to participate in the healing but he NEVER told anyone to wait or that God desired to teach them something because of the healing. 

There are cases when Jesus was not able to heal people. When we do not experience instant or fast healing it’s due to blocks NOT God’s will. I will address that in another post. 

When God uses sickness

Even though God does not give us sickness because of his goodness God Desires to bless us through sickness. God will upgrade our character. God will bring us revelations. God will do any number of wonderful things through and despite an illness. God’s heart is to take every attack of the enemy and turn it for good.

When God’s Grace Delays Sickness

Now God still does not CREATE sickness. God’s desire is still for us to be healed and healthy but sometimes sickness just inevitably comes upon us because of soul wounds or sin BUT God in his goodness gives us enough grace so it doesn’t manifest before we can handle it. 

I was in a couple accidents and I went though a time when I injured my back through overuse. Even though I should have experienced the effects of the injury earlier they didn’t manifest until many years latter in a season when I had the time and resources to deal with the issue on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. If the sickness manifested earlier I would have been utterly crushed. The effects of the injury might have manifested before I could handle it if I wasn’t in submission to God but I was in submission to God and I was able to access grace.

Even though God’s will would not have been for me to suffer the back injury at all he blessed me despite it and showed me during that time the choices that allowed me to experience the infirmity in the first place and be healed of wounds and sin that would allow more sickness into my body.

Growing in Strength

There are cases when we are challenged in our health and it is not suffering. When we are being pushed to the limit but the purpose is simply to force our body to become healthier and stronger it’s not suffering even though it may be painful. An example is when a person undergoes physical therapy or even a medical treatment to get better. (Not all medical treatments are good but each case must be considered individually.) Another example is when an athlete pushes themselves and becomes stronger, or when we fast for health or spiritual reasons. In short cases in which we experience any level of discomfort for the sake of walking into better health is not suffering but simply a challenge and yes God can be the source of it. 

Wealth and Resources

Poverty

God desires us to prosper and be blessed. See this article on Reasons God wants you to Prosper. 

19 And my God (Theos the creator and sustainer of all things) will liberally supply ([a]fill to the full) your every need according to His riches (wealth) in glory (manifestations of God) in (the power and authority of) Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (AMP) (elaboration added see the Strongs.)

Poverty is not only when one can’t afford food or shelter or safety or health or provide for our basic bodily needs. Poverty is also when we are unable to live in the sphere of influence God has called us to. 

Say you are called to the stage in New York. God’s basic provision and not being in a state of abject poverty would look like being able to pay for 700-2000+ a month for descent shared living quarters and even more to eat and get around the city. While someone called to missionary work might be just fine with the basics of clothes, food, transportation and shelter and safety. 

It’s very important to hear God clearly about your calling. Say someone wants to be famous because it would be cool but in reality they would be crushed by that kind of pressure and would not actually be happy even if they weren’t. BUT if you have a big dream it could very well be from God. There are people in high up places who are destroying the world and God’s heart is for people driven by love to be in positions of influence. So one must really get close to God and figure out what purpose he put in your heart. 

God desires to provide for whatever he calls you to. Poverty is when we are bared from our future or our calling due to a lack of resources or connections and God does not create poverty. His desire is to give us provision and wealth. 

When God withholds a Promise

There are cases when God withholds a promise because we are not ready to steward it. God’s goodness withholds something that would actually be a curse until the person is able to handle it.

Say a person has a promise of wealth from God, but the person has wounding in their soul that would make them greedy and idolize the Money if they received it before being healed. Say they idolize money or grew up in a family that was poor and taught the person money was a status symbol that you shouldn’t share with anyone. Maybe the person simply needs to be given small levels of increase so they can learn to handle the responsibility. So God in his goodness withholds that blessing until the person is healed and can steward the blessing properly. Otherwise the person might be financially ruined. This happens all the time with the lottery. 

God is good and loving and he directs our paths. We are in training and God will only give us challenges that we can handle at the moment. When we work with him He sculpts our paths perfectly.

Read the Next post about God as our Life Coach

Waiting on "God’s Timing"

The Difference between Challenges and Suffering, what God’s about when we aren’t seeing our promises yet and what we can do to participate in the manifestation of our promises.

A common belief when we are waiting on a delayed promise is that it’s simply not God’s timing yet. God will get around to fulfilling the promise but for whatever reason he is not doing it now. 

This concept is NOT biblical or the heart of God. 

That concept came from some misinterpretations of the bible and the opinions of discouraged people. 

What does the bible mean when it tells us to wait?

13 [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living (while I am still alive)! 

14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 (AMP) (Elaboration added see the Strongs.)

The word Wait here isn’t talking about sitting by and seeing what God does. It’s an active expectant action that is attentive and ready. It’s an application of faith. It’s implied participation. Most of the time when the bible talks about promises it’s using words that describe actually participating instead of standing by and checking out until something happens. 

7 So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord (until you experience the presence of the Lord). See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains.

8 So you also must be patient. Establish your hearts [strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty], for the coming of the Lord is very near (you are close to experiencing the presence of the lord). James 5:7-8 (AMP) (Elaboration added see the Strongs.)

This verse is talking about the times when you aren’t currently experiencing the manifest presence of the lord or the promises that you have received. The word Wait is referring to an active participation and expectation of a promise. The farmer doesn’t just plant a seed and check out. They watch over the progress every day and make sure the seeds are watered and growing and not being dug up. The word wait it more like how a good waiter serves and is active and aware of when they are needed. We aren’t the source of the power or promises but we must co-labor with it. 

Waiting Passively for God to do Something

Why do people get into this mindset?

It’s easier to think there is nothing to be done.

Life is hard and it’s tempting to think that God is orchestrating all things so you don’t need to really do much. I’m going to go deeper into that but the short of it is we need to be active and willing to work and fight with God. We are so much more powerful than we know and the effort is worth it when we have the right strategy. (I will go into this in detail in another post.)

Weariness and helplessness

It’s easy to get into a state of passiveness because sometimes you just don’t know what to do and nothing makes sense. One figures; “Well God is all powerful right? So he must either not care or just be using the suffering to teach me something.”

This is a misunderstanding of God’s nature.

God DOES NOT create suffering to Teach or Upgrade us

There is plenty of suffering in the world without God’s Help. God does NOT desire to beat you down until it get’s into your skull. AND God does not NEED to use suffering to upgrade us. God created the universe. He can do that in love encounters. You could have a spiritual encounter with God and get upgrades. He is a loving father who teaches with love not anger. 

So often the prayer of the believer is “God please do this thing. Why aren’t you doing it. I beg you please do it.” God certainly desires to bless us so it’s silly to beg him. It would be better to pray, “Lord you want this to come to pass. Show me what to do to make it happen. Give me your grace and favor and power to bring it to pass. Work through me to make it happen.” 

See these verses about how God wants to bless us and the promises he has for is.

Even though God desires us to be blessed, healthy and prosperous God will however allow us to be challenged so we can become strong. 

Read the Next post about Suffering and Challenges