Beloved,
Anonymity is deadly.
Many people seek counseling from Rod and Staff Ministries for the sake of anonymity.
Any parachurch counseling ministry is, at best, second best.
The best for your soul is grace-laced, intrusive community. I have read that phrase somewhere, but the author escapes me. He is right, though. Your greatest need is not comfort, is not ease, is not anonymity…it is living in close enough proximity with a compassionate and courageous Christian who will spur you on to love and good deeds.
The Bible says:
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:12-14).
We are commanded to exhort one another. We are not encouraged to seek counsel form a “non-one-another” in order to make is “easier.” Those whom know us best are the ones who see where the deceitfulness of sin has taken hold and must be the ones to exhort us…every day.
Beloved, the church is the best. Take your cares and concerns to your pastor…the one who will give an account for your soul…the one who has the privilege and responsibility to point you to Christ. Seek not anonymity, seek sanctification…its end will be greater satisfaction in Jesus.
10,000 Blessings in The Wonderful Counselor,
Jim