So What’s The Deal With “Agency”?
“Agency” is the new buzzword we keep hearing in podcasts and even recently published books, but what does it really mean?
Here are some thoughts on agency, where it comes from, and what makes it so very valuable in our personal lives!
Ever hear of the series “Orange is the new black”? I don’t think I ever watched it once, but I found the title interesting. Basically, it meant that the criminals who once wore black every day were now wearing orange every day in prison. So, for them, orange became their new normal.
When I first started learning, and then blogging, about coaching the word “Ownership” was a regular topic and tag.
Agency is the new Ownership.
Agency means we have choices.
- We can advocate for ourselves in certain situations.
- We can choose our perspective.
- We can remove ourselves from harmful places.
- We can work toward our preferred future.
- We can grow spiritual and process our thoughts and feelings in healthy ways.
Agency means we have free will.
Where did that come from?
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." Joshua 24:15a
From the very beginning, God gave us choices. “Don’t do this or this will happen”, or “Don’t do that it will not be good.”
Deuteronomy 11: 26-28, “ See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.”
But it’s not just about the do’s and the don’ts!
It’s about following God’s offer to guide us in the way we should go!
Proverbs 4:11 “I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am leading you on the right path.”
How do we learn to discern our best next step?
How can we meet God in the middle of our personal circumstances?
How can we find Him when we really need Him?
All these questions and more are what good coaching is all about!
AND we all need to answer these questions for ourselves and help others do the same. That’s how we make disciples!
If you want to grow in your own personal agency – coach training will help!
If you want to become more skilled at helping others truly feel empowered to move forward – coach training* will help!
It’s a WIN – WIN!
Whether you are a minister or a mom, a veteran leader or a newbie follower, COACH training comes alongside your faith walk and propels you toward the connection God wants to have with you personally, and gives you conversational tools to walk with others and help them choose well.
Agency is how we choose to live our lives.
Choose wisely!
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