Our Greatest Investment

^“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”

Rom 12:9-10

All of us have two major things we can invest into God’s kingdom: our time and our attention. Where we invest those two precious resources makes all the difference. We can invest them into temporary, material things which pass away; or we can invest them into eternal things that will endure forever:  like people. 

Mining for gold is a lifestyle of investment, pouring our time and attention into God’s people to bring out the best in them.  It is a leadership paradigm built on relationships. Relationships are the best soil for the investment of our time and attention. When we invest in people and draw out the best in them, we are planting eternal seeds and creating an atmosphere of life, growth and blessing.

For years I focused my time and attention on getting things done and accomplishing tasks. I lived off the adrenaline of accomplishment.  I was on a never-ending treadmill to complete my “to do” list. The problem was, by the time I got my high-priority tasks done, twelve more had come my way that screamed for my immediate attention. I wanted off that treadmill!

As I prayed, God began to do a work inside of me. He showed me that I wasn’t a slave needing to please Him, but a son already pleasing to Him. I learned my true identity as His beloved. His love freed me from my addiction to performing and producing.   I began to experience Him loving me and tasted the rich fruit of deeply loving others. I began to invest my time and energy into helping others come into their gifts and callings. It was like clouds parted above my head, and I was introduced to a whole new dimension of leadership.

I find that one of the highest ways to honor others is to help them come into the fullness of all God has for them. When I coach a leader, I can feel the holy honor of helping them cooperate with God’s great plan for their life.  Coaching Leadership is a lifestyle of other-centered investment. We don’t use people to pursue a goal, we love people as God is working His goals in them.

God sees you as a masterpiece, so He relates to you with great care and intentionality. If you had a work of art worth millions of dollars, you would relate to that artwork in a certain way. If your child drew you a personal picture saying how much they loved you, you would relate to that artwork in a way that reflected your relationship with the artist. You would love that artwork because you love the child. That is how God relates to us. We are his treasures.

You may be facing some challenging issues in your life and leadership today. You sense there’s a call on your life, but it feels beyond your reach. Your time feels chained to the tyranny of the urgent. You are not sure what the real issues are or the best way to move forward. You yearn to align your time with your design and your passions. You know you were made for more.

I encourage you to find a coach who is skilled at drawing out the gold in others and is sensitive to the Holy Spirit. With their help, you will get clarity on who you are and how God created you. From that foundation of identity, explore simple ways to start cooperating with your deepest dreams and desires. Discover your “sweet spot” in God’s great kingdom plan. It is a place of freedom, alignment and momentum. I’ve helped many people find that place, and every time it happens, it takes my breath away.

Once you come into your sweet spot, invest in someone else as a coaching leader to help them find theirs. It is an eternal investment. The blessings go on and on and on.