Life is not what it is suppose to be! Heartache, guilt, shame, grief, anxiety, hopelessness, fear, and confusion touch every part of our lives. Where does one turn for relief and help? Our minds are flooded with questions and obsessive thoughts: Who am I? Am I normal or is something wrong with me? Will anyone ever love me for who I am? How can I make it to the next day if I don’t want to live another day? I can’t imagine living like this for the rest of my life! Why me? Why do I have to suffer? Why is life so hard? What is the purpose of life? Can I ever change? These deeply personal and practical questions have shaped our understanding of counseling. But should the reality and difficulty of our human experience determine the essence, means, and goal of counseling?
Confusion abounds when you talk about counseling, whether in the world or in the church. Like most areas of theory and practice, variant understandings of counseling exist because of differences in perspectives driven by foundational beliefs and personal experiences. The church can and must take the lead in developing a unified and comprehensive understanding of counseling since such an understanding is critical to the mission of God and his church.
Some Questions for you … What is your understanding of counseling? How has the church been influenced and shaped by the world’s understanding of counseling? Is this an important issue for us to think through-if yes, why?