Counseling the broken and bringing people back to God

Biblical counseling has changed my life.  Some people may not understand it or really know what it is but it’s helped me to grow closer to Christ and to realize what I should really be focusing on and who I should be focusing on.  I’ve gone through a lot of pain in my life and struggled though a lot of things and I’ve come to realize that everything that happens in my life has happened to make me more like Christ.  I didn’t have a lot of discipleship growing up but God has provided me with mentors and people to counsel me from the Bible here at seminary and in Arizona and it has changed my life and helped me to grow in my walk with God.

I started to read Luke tonight.  I am going to read one chapter every night until Christmas.  As I was reading tonight I saw something I hadn’t seen before.

“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [m]while yet in his mother’s womb.  And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.  It is he who will go as a forerunnerbefore Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:13-17

This is what I believe a biblical counseling does.  They help to turn people back to God and if they don’t know God they help them to have a relationship with Jesus.  They help those who are disobedient to repent and to turn back to God and to start living an obedient lifestyle again, one that is righteous and points to God.  They encouraged those who need comforting.  

My favorite verse that describes the role of the Biblical Counselor for sure is 
1 Thessalonians 5:14:

“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

It’s important that we ask God to open our hearts and our eyes so we can really see people around us.  People can be struggling with things we have no idea about.  We need to encourage one another, and speak the truth in love.  We need to help our brothers and sisters when we see that they are living in sin and we need to encourage them when they are weary and worn down.  We need to disciple them when they are weak in faith and point them to the one who can truly give them hope.  We need to help them to know how to study the Bible and to know how to pray to the one true God who will never leave them! We need to share scripture with people and pray always!  Let’s run this race together because in the end we are going to win a prize and ultimately we will see our Savior face to face!