Minimizing Counseling

Allow to begin with an important caveat before I expand on my thoughts. I would never diminish the role or call of a counselor. The first reason is the Bible makes place for counseling and soliciting input from wise and experienced voices. So, if you happen to be reading and your ministry or vocation fits within the counseling “lane”, please understand I affirm and acknowledge your important role in helping people find emotional and psychological wholeness and health. It is no deep dark secret, as Tracie and I have shared this fact openly and publicly, that we have both solicited counseling personally and as a couple through our 40+ years of marriage and ministry. Frankly, I don’t see how any normal person can avoid it.

That said, after decades of ministry with people in various forums and relationships, I can say unequivocally, that a person can minimize their counseling needs if they implemented a few important points in their life. I understand that life in general can be capricious, arbitrary, unfair, unjust, and hard. There are people who face incredible challenges not of their own doing. These people deserve our compassion, mercy and understanding. However, there are untold numbers of people who face hardship due to their own foolishness and lack of listening. Their quandary has nothing to do with God’s ire or lack of concern, but rather their own inability to implement some basic points of Christian journey.

The following short list was initially posted by me to social media as a kind of “after-thought”. I wasn’t trying to be profound or deep, just reflecting on the reasons certain people always seem to find themselves consistently in deep problems. Apparently it resonated at some level with people as the “shares” and “likes” took off in an unreasonably short time period. I guess I should feel affirmed that so much help can be disseminated with such brevity. I guess it also reminded me that while life can at times be complex, answers may be far simpler. As one friend of mine often says, “Obedience is simple; disobedience is complicated”.

The list is as follows:

1. Find a Bible-believing, Bible preaching, local church and commit to it. Be there rain or shine every Sunday. You do lots of things no matter the weather, your feelings, or your personal convenience.

2. Open up your wallet and support it with your tithes and offerings. Don’t be a mooch. Be obedient to God and do your part. Generosity isn’t a feeling, it’s a habit.

3. Find a place to serve God in His Kingdom and amongst His people in a local church. Greatness is servanthood and anyone can be great. It just takes rolling up your sleeves.

4. Don’t just listen to the pastor’s sermon, think about it, meditate on it, talk about it with those who also heard it, and then apply it. You may not need as much counseling as you think if you simply read and apply God’s Word.

5. Find a group of God fearing, Jesus loving, Bible obeying friends to hang out with. Don’t confuse your mission to evangelize the lost with your need for spiritually strong friends. Few Christians do well hanging out 24/7/365 with heathens.

As a pastor I would counsel both members and non-members of the church. My requirement was only, they had to be sitting under the teaching of God’s Word consistently (I will stipulate that could be a subjective amount of time depending on their situation and general biblical knowledge base). It always amazed me how those who would practice the above principles led a generally peaceful and productive life; while those who did not practice these things were consistently struggling. Coincidence? I think not.

Hopefully, if you stumble across this blog you will consider the foundations of your life and make sure you are properly practicing the things which make for peace. My guess is that the more order you put into your life, the better your life will be.

Published byKevin Baird

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