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What You'll Discover in this Episode:
145: Are You Called to Counsel?
What are the biblical principles and precepts and patterns that are appropriate for the counseling situation? We want to be led by the Holy Spirit in every interaction with the people we minister to.
In this podcast, Pastor Jeff Christianson shares with us how those who are called to counsel will offer 1:1 ministry.
Those called to counsel will offer ministry:
- Through His Word
- By His Spirit
- With A Prayerful Seeking Heart
- In the Context of Church Life, Relational with His People
We are called to make disciples wherever we go. We point others to Jesus Christ.Get equipped to counsel God's by listening to the episode now. Afterwards, jump into the community and share with us how you are growing in your counseling journey with us.
Resources:
Having been a teacher in children’s ministry for many years I can testify that the same thing holds true when dealing with children. You may have a child that has grown up in the church, knows the Bible stories forwards and backwards. Can rattle off answers all day long when asked Bible questions, and recite scriptures from memory, but let an incident come up in class where the child must be counseled for it, we must not assume anything. We teachers are held to a higher standard when teaching the Word of truth. God is not willing that any should parish. Every soul is precious, and we must listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading to help them come to trust Jesus as their Saviour or instruct (disciple) them on how to apply the principles they have learned in their Sunday School class. What a blessing to see that light bulb go on!
The call to counsel God’s Word, His way, in His timing, with His resources, by the power of His Holy Spirit is not only counter-cultural, but is seemingly just as rare in the “Christian Counseling” context, as well. I liked Jeff’s focus on stewardship with regard to money, our bodies, our time and our talents. They all belong to God! We are care- takers for a season. Let us be found faithful with what God has entrusted to us in this life, especially as we impart His comfort and admonitions in the counseling context. It is my desire to not only to be found faithful at His appearing, but a good steward and multiplier of the talents He has entrusted to me, as well.
During one of my first counseling sessions after seminary I was under the supervision of another Christian counselor at a church in Northern California. It was obvious very quickly that the counselee was not saved, so like Jeff shared I listened to the Spirit, I did not follow the counseling check list I had on my clipboard but, I spent the remaining session sharing with the counselee the Gospel message. When I finished the counseling session my Christian supervising counselor criticized me telling me that I did not help the counselee with their problem. It was uplifting and encouraging to hear Jeff validate what I did that afternoon and I am happy to hear Jeff confirm the counter culture approach we need to take in our daily lives. We need to stop looking and acting like the world. We can’t be a salt and light if we have lost our saltiness and have hidden our lamp under a shade of this world’s culture.
I so agree with you following the Holy Spirit, Donald! The very best thing you could have done to help the counselee was to introduce them to Jesus Christ to trust His work on the cross for their sin and life. Good job!
One of the first thing that Jeff said was that you need to have a proper walk with the Lord. As a young person who went to church regularly, I’m not sure that I knew exactly what that statement meant. As I have grown with Christ, or in Christ, I realize more and more what it means. When Jeff says, “Ministry flows from a person who is walking with Jesus Christ, I get it. It has taken me years and years to really understand what walking with Christ, being in Christ truly means. (And I pray that I will continue to learn.) Walking according to the Spirit, is so important. Praying, reading the Word, listening, to God, and to the person that’s talking to us. So many important things, but so valuable to our ministry. Thank you Jeff again, for bringing to our attention what it really means to walk with the Lord.
Velma I couldn’t agree more. When we are walking with Christ we do not need to look for our ministry because our ministry flows from us and people are attracted to Him because how He makes us look.
One of the ministry opportunities I get to participate in is ministerial visits at the local jail. I get to visit these inmates weekly one on one in a private setting with glass in between us. we are in the same room lawyers use. Sometimes I am tired and don’t want to go but I go anyways. Once I go and allow myself to be an instrument for the Lord, it’s always worth it.
The saying that comes to mind when I heard this was “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” No matter what happens, if and when God wants to use any one of his children, he will do it. And he will provide what is needed for them to be successful in his calling/mission. This is especially encouraging for us; knowing that in every interaction, as we rely on Him, He will be the one speaking in and through us.
I agree Tim. So often people say no to ministry opportunities because they don’t feel they have the training or the necessary qualifications. God calls us to step out in faith and let the Spirit equip us to do His work.
I heard a woman’s testimony yesterday and she said ” He didn’t give me what I needed, HE became what I needed.”
This is what I have kept saying over and over last night unto this morning. As I finished up this podcast, it truly spoke to me in regards to know that we as future Biblical counselors need to be walking rightly and deeply with our Lord & Savior, HE is to become what we need.
I absolutely love this. I think that there is such deep truth in that simple sentence. There is no thing that we need; everything we need has already been provided, in the Spirit, when we were adopted into the kingdom!
Serena, I could not agree more how we go about and search for something temporary that doesn’t fill us. Our fulfillment and completeness is in the Lord alone, He is the fountain of everlasting life, John 4:14.
This is great! I am writing this down. Thanks for Sharing.
Thank you Pastor Jeff for talking about the Holy Spirit. It is easy to think at times that we know so much and we can have these great plans on how to help someone, but it really needs to be a working of the Holy Spirit. I guess since I am a music teacher there is a visual there that I can relate to: I am an instrument. That instrument needs to be in top playing condition in order for an individual to use it. I need to make sure that my spiritual walk is where it needs to be, that I am allowing God to clean me up and prepare me to be used by Him (through prayer and the reading of His word.). The Holy Spirit is the breath that moves me, guides me, and leads me to do His work. Nothing I personally have to offer is ever going to be powerful enough to help someone, only the Lord can do that, but I can be an instrument that He chooses to use.
Angela, I absolutely agree with you on the major fact that we cannot be of use, or powerful enough within our own merits, or personal degree’s, certificates, etc. It is all up to the Holy Spirit and us having complete reliance on HIM, in doing this we do need to do our part and walk with the Lord so intimately and close, allowing us to truly hear from HIM, having HIM mark on the tablet of our hearts,
Yes!! The world loves its certificates, degrees and awards. Those things can be beneficial but God does not need those things in our lives to use us. He just needs a willing, God fearing individual that is obedient and seeks Him.
Yes, He just wants us to be willing. To seek Him. To obey Him. Thank you Angela for the reminder. We call out to God and He hears us. I’m so thankful.
I can say, from hearing you at church service, that God uses you in a fantastic way on the worship team. You use your talents that God has given you to glorify Him in an exceptional way!
Thank you for those words. I want to use everything God has given me to bring glory to His name.
This is absolutely amazing! I have heard the illustration of being a tool in God’s hands. But, this analogy brings such clarity to what it means to be “used by God,” in my mind at least.
This was such a reassuring podcast Pastor Jeff. The Lord intended for the believer to be walking with Him intimately in order to counsel others through Him. That through Him, He will use us as an instrument to counsel others. I have encountered more often than not “Christian” advice from fellow Christians that do not hold up to their own words and or not walking in tandem with the Lord. Knowingly that they are looking toward their own “unholy trinity” and it was disguised every so cleverly by the evil one. It is so important to always be plugged into the church, in our bible and prayer daily, not matter the season. We are never called when it is convenient for us but in His timing.
Convenience is what sticks out to me there. God is not too concerned with what fits in our schedule, if He prompts us to do something we need to make it our goal to be obedient. If we commit, often He will iron out all the details.
Amen! God doesn’t make available the called, but calls the available. It is our will, first and foremost, that requires surrender….both at salvation and EVERY DAY thereafter.
I agree, this was a reassuring podcast. Seeing the words “He will use us as an instrument to counsel other” is both scary and exciting at the same time. Scary in that my first thought is “Lord don’t let me get in your way”. Exciting in that “Lord I am here and willing”.
Thank you Pastor Jeff once again for all of these incredibly important truths.
Yes we need to be convinced that the Lord Himself is the counsellor. I am not.
Totally agree our man made formulas will not work. They are at best a temporary comfort to a systemic problem. How can man made formulas impart life? This will be my major challenge learning not to lean to my own understanding or “training” but rather to see how the Lord ministers to the person in need.
Yes we have to walk it first. Yes the Lord’s highest priority will be a person’s salvation and discipleship. How humbling to think that He would consider any of us worthy of such a wonderful ministry. I pray I would get out of His way.
Ann-Louise, in the past going to counseling session I have felt like I was the one being evaluated. As you walk into a counselors office, you fill out an intake and join their program that takes you though steps of their cycle. Making you feel like another experimental guinea pig in a lab. When someone is seeking counsel we need to seek out that Christ like love and genuinely listen without making them feel evaluated. We need to ask the Lord to take control of our hearts and minds to direct the conversation. Praying with them and praying internally as we help counsel then through the Lord’s truth and Spirit.
Luke 9:23 I crave to always be following Jesus, but the scripture says to deny myself before it says follow Jesus. We can’t follow Him without denying our fleshly desires. This is a constant reminder to myself. I am not at peace, when I am not submitting my mind to his ways, and denying mine.
I think of this all the time. We can fight so hard to hold onto things that the Lord wants us to let go, and they aren’t necessarily bad things, but the Lord is asking us to let them go. When we do choose to let them go there is a peace of mind and a peace in our hearts–it brings us true joy, which in turn allows us to minister to others.
Hi Angela, You musical instrument illustration is great! I have never looked at it that way – and I think it is a brilliant way to describe our relationship to the Holy Spirit of God.
Thank you for reminding us that we need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, first in our own walk, but also in counseling. Trusting the Holy Spirit causes us to be vulnerable to His leading, which is not always comfortable, but is necessary if we truly believe that the Lord is the Counselor, and we are His instruments. I have seen ministry done so precisely planned out that there was no room for the Holy Spirit to work, and I left these situations lacking spiritually. There is no doubt in my mind that counseling can be effective without the Trinity.
I too, have seen first hand what precisely planned ministry has done, it completely leaves out the Holy Spirit, which then leaves it all being man made, and created, which then people start falling away, and many things creep in. My husband I as well had leave a ministry because there was no room for the Spirit of God to work and it grieved us to watch this take place. We as believers need to allow HIM to work and Work in us.
I cannot lead someone onto what I myself do not have. If I fail to walk close with God, if my life looks the same as the lost then it shatters my testimony. It is the contrast in a believers life that sells, when people see you and know you as a Christian; and how life is just so much different in the way that you posses joy in adversity. Counseling certainly starts in our own walk, not to say that we at any point have perfection, but there is to be a notable difference. Then we can move on to listening, praying through and allowing God to counsel others in our lives to salvation and continual sanctification. Thank God that He loved us first and may He use us as valuable tools to bring others into His family.
Amen!