We are All Called to Counsel
Author: Jeremy Lelek
Category: Counseling
Depression. Addiction. Anger. Anxiety. Our world is in great turmoil. People are lost. People are hurting. People are hopeless. People are confused. They desperately need hope and redemption. But who is going to be a light in the midst of such darkness? Do you feel the need? Do you feel compelled? Do you feel called?
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you have been commissioned to step into this darkness—you have been commissioned to counsel. You have been invited to serve as a healing agent in the lives of hurting people.
Consider the following:
• God spoke words of counsel to Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:16-17).
• God spoke counsel to Moses in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17).
• God instructed Moses to speak His wisdom to Israel (Ex. 20:22).
• God encouraged Joshua to glean from the counsel of the Law in order to prosper in his way (Jos. 1:8-9).
• The psalmist warns against wicked counsel while encouraging people to meditate and delight in the counsel of God (Ps. 1:1-2).
• The book of Proverbs offers wisdom for life—in essence, counsel.
• Paul offers wise counsel throughout the whole of his writings (for example Rom. 12, Eph. 5, Phil. 2, and Col. 3).
• James provides wisdom about quarreling (Jas. 4).
• The Bible knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:13).
The whole of Scripture is God’s counsel to mankind, and all believers are called to teach this counsel to others. Consider the following:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).
It is quite difficult to get around the direct call from Jesus to “make disciples” and to teach others to observe his teachings—his counsel. I know that may feel intimidating, but Jesus, in his glaring mercy, immediately comforts us with these words: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Our work is vast and our call is critical. The people in our world need the Jesus that we serve. They need the Gospel He offers. They need His love. They do not need another pill. They do not need another self-help book. They do not need another retreat. They need real people who are willing to be the instruments the Redeemer has called us to be—disciple makers, encouragers, and teachers of His Word. People that not only proclaim the love of God, but incarnate that love in meaningful, genuine hands-on relationships.
Our world is in turmoil. We have access to a Person who alone possesses the power to calm the storm. The darkness is not retreating. We possess the only Light. We have been called to imitate Jesus upon the Earth through our personal one on one, ministry to others. We are all called to counsel.
Will you take the next step? Will you join a growing community of believers who are now answering the call? Will you be part of what God is doing in and through the Association of Biblical Counselors? Will you consider attending our national conference in 2016?
As you prayerfully consider this invitation, I echo Paul in my prayers for you:
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:9-12).
Posted on October 8, 2015