Steve Macchia — Practicing a Preference for God

Steve Macchia, author and founder of Leadership Transformations, shares insights on cultivating discernment as a listening lifestyle — rather than merely a decision-making strategy — and how to humbly place God’s agenda ahead of our own.

Show Notes

[2:00] You take a different spin of sorts on the topic of discernment. Could you share with us a little about some of your thinking on that? 

[4:14] What does a discerning life look like going beyond big decision-making? 

[7:05] What did that look like for you today to lean into discerning life? 

[10:50] You have a phrase in the book that I just love and it’s ​“practicing a preference for God.” Can you talk a little about that?

[14:35] There’s a sort of certain humility that is required to even look or ask. If I got it all figured out, I’m not necessarily going to look for God’s opinion on something, right?

[17:30] The prayer I’ll often do is, ​“Hey, if you’ve got an opinion here, I’m open.” It just feels good in a way, to go this isn’t all about me, right?

[19:25] There are other times where there’s an ease to it. Do you relate to that? 

[22:15] How do people know they’re on the right track?

[26.20:]What does this look like for a leader? How does discernment work itself out in the day to day?

[28:23] Leaders want to bring something, want to help, feel an internal or external responsibility to do such, but for you to bring listening, discerning — what you’re doing is a ministry to your team, right?

[31:10] Share with me a couple of things going on with Leadership Transformations that folks could be involved with.

[33:13] One of your major contributions is the rule of life book. And then the discernment book. Do those intersect?

Resources

• The Discerning Life, by Steve Macchia
• Crafting a Rule of Life, by Steve Maccia
• Steve’s ministry Leadership Transformations