| Counseling God's Way |
IABC - COUNSELING GOD'S WAY
"COUNSELING GOD'S WAY" IS MORE THAN A CATCHY PHRASE. IT'S A COMMITMENT TO TAKE THE SCRIPTURES SERIOUSLY AND TO HELP GOD'S PEOPLE APPLY HIS TRUTH TO THEIR PERSONAL LIVES IN PRACTICAL WAYS."
Counseling God's Way is as different from psychological counseling as light is from darkness. You see, genuine Biblical counseling doesn't merely sprinkle a few Bible verses here and there to make the counseling appear Bible-centered. In contrast to psychologically-integrated systems, Biblical counseling seeks to carefully discover those areas in which a Christian may be disobedient to the principles and commands of Scripture and to help him learn how to lovingly submit to God's will.
In contrast to the false stereotypes of Biblical counseling, effective Biblical counselors do not automatically diagnose a counselee's problems as flagrant and willful rebellion and prescribe a couple of verses with the promise of instant healing. On the other hand, a genuine Biblical counselor does not assume that every problem is biologically caused, requiring years of intensive psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs.
While recognizing that many problems of thinking and behavior are physically caused, Biblical counselors recognize that many physical symptoms are generated by wrong patterns of thinking and action.
Biblical counselors take Colossians 1:28 seriously, presenting Christ without shame, lovingly confronting sin, and teaching Biblical principles in order to produce maturity in the life of the counselee.
Psychological counseling, on the other hand, is based on "hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ," (Colossians 2:8). That's why Paul warns, "See to it that no one takes you captive" through such empty concepts.
Biblical counselors truly believe that God "has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness," (2 Peter 1:5). If we apply God's principles to our lives and grow in our character qualities, Peter promises "they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive," (vs.8), but if we fail to do so, Peter says we are "nearsighted and blind" forgetting that we have "been cleansed from [our] past sins" (vs.9).
That is what psychological counseling produces: spiritual nearsightedness and blindness and a return to slavery to the very sins God has freed us from. As a result, "they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning," (2 Peter 2:20).
Counseling God's Way is totally different, because it relies on the wisdom of God, not on the false precepts of humanistic philosophies and theories.
Would you like to know more about Counseling God's Way? Then we invite you to order a copy of the book, Counseling God's Way, by Bob Hoekstra, one of our international representatives. It could be the turning point in your ministry of counseling as we encourage one another. Call us today at (303) 469-IABC.
