Why would I ever want to counsel others?

Why would I ever want to counsel others? Here are three reason.

FIRST REASON…It is commanded; You must not fear your neighbor, but lovingly confront.

Leviticus 19:17-18
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

“Paul was not a people-pleaser. He was a people-lover, and because of that he did not change his message according to what other might think. Only people-lovers are able to confront. Only people lovers are not controlled by other people” (Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small, 41).

“Counseling, as a life calling, is the task of elders. But God calls all other Christians to counsel too” (Adams, Insight and Creativity, 13).

See also Rom 15:14; Matt 28:18-20; 1 Thess 4:18, 5:11, 5:14; Heb 3:12-13

SECOND REASON…In order to learn the lessons yourself. The counselor will grow tremendously. You will have to obey the implications of what you teach; stricter judgment awaits.

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

THIRD REASON…in order to receive the ultimate, eternal reward.

There is a great reward for those who engage in pastoral ministry—biblical counseling is pastoral ministry. Those who would seek to help people please God will both learn the lessons themselves and will come to appreciate Jesus more.

1. A counselor will receive a greater capacity to enjoy Christ for having followed Him in ministry

2. A counselor will receive a greater capacity to enjoy Christ because he or she will…

a. See to a greater degree where has He perfectly obeyed and I have failed, and

b. Praise Him for His perfection

3. A counselor will receive a greater capacity to enjoy Christ because he or she has seen, firsthand, the devastation of sin or delight of obedience. You will be befuddled and thus must lean on Jesus. You will come to marvel at His discernment of human motivation. You will be heart-broken at the attitudes and actions of professing Christians. You will come to marvel at His patience and compassion with rebels.

4. A counselor will receive a greater capacity to enjoy Christ because Jesus was never manipulated, never gave up, never was cowardly, but was always courageous, compassionate and ever seeking to please God. You will be misunderstood, underappreciated, and often challenged. You will come to marvel at His persistence in the face of opposition.

5. You will be ever more dependent upon the Spirit. You will come to marvel at His reliance upon the Spirit.

Isaiah 50:4
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

6. You will be the target of manipulation and coercion. You will come to marvel at His desire to please God and not care about man’s opinion of Him.

Matthew 22:16
And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

You are already counseling. Would you consider letting us help you make your counseling more biblical by signing up for one of our courses starting soon? Your “unfading crown of glory” will never dissipate. Your enjoyment of Jesus will never fade. You will know, to a greater degree, in part what He accomplished to perfection. Your reward, your capacity to enjoy Him, will be eternal and increased through your efforts in biblical counseling.

This week’s Faithful Friday Blog is a Training Manual Teaser from lesson twelve, Creating a Culture of Hope: Foundations of One-Another Ministry in the Church, in our semester one manual.