<p> Last month I received an avalanche of responses on my Facebook page to last month’s blog “Let’s Not Call it Abuse”. Many women recounted painful experiences of invalidation, minimization and silence from their Christian counselor when she disclosed what was happening at home.</p> <p> From the overwhelming feedback I received, it obvious I hit a raw nerve and I think it best that we, as biblical counselors pay attention.</p>
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This is the third devotional in an 8-part series on Relationships. Why are relationship struggles so disappointing? Why do the problems we have with other people affect us so powerfully? Why is relational disappointment one of the hardest disappointments for all of us to face? Let me suggest some reasons.
Often times we tend to see difficulties or trials in life as punishment, discipline, or the Lord teaching us specific lessons. It’s not that the Lord doesn’t teach in these manners but in my observation Christians generally view them as punishment or lesson teaching. This reality, I believe, manifests itself in the questions or comments we counsel ourselves with when trying times come, “What am I supposed to learn through this?” or “This trial is a result of my sin” or perhaps, “The Lord is teaching me a lesson.” I would argue if these are our primary perspectives on trials then we spend much of
As biblical counselors our goal is to help marriages stay together but we must be careful to not be like the priests in Jeremiahs’ day who healed God’s people superficially by saying peace, peace, when there was no peace. When working with couples in destructive and abusive marriages, I think it’s important that we understand what it takes to put their marriage back together in a godly way. And, if one of them won’t do the work required, then what? Do we encourage them to stay legally together even if they’re relationally separated or divorced?
Where would you attach such a device? To someone’s brain, tongue, heart? I am going to contend that you would attach it to someone’s eyes, because a truth-telling machine would have to alter what we see in order to change what we say. In order to “see” (sorry, couldn’t help myself) where I am going with this, consider 2 Peter 1:9.
If you're interested in a fascinating conversation about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you will no doubt enjoy this interview with four of the most prolific thinkers in the chruch today: R.C. Sproul, Tullian Tchividjian, Matt Chandler, and Mark Driscoll. Tons of exceptional counseling material in this interview. Be blessed!!! Watch video here.
Many of our experiences in life confirm that our perception of reality is, at best, skewed. In fact, if we trust the truth of God’s word and become honest about our condition, we are in many ways totally blind. We are, without effort, naturally oblivious to ultimate spiritual reality, that is, to the glorious nature of the person of God and His marvelous works. Furthermore, we are oblivious to the very presence of this blindness in moments in which it is most profound.
"I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you." The driven, watchful envy of a horizontal pleasure-oriented heart will drive you crazy. It will not only rob you of your satisfaction and joy, it will take your humanity from you. It will turn you into a bit of a beast. It will make you more of a brute than a friend. It will eat your heart and consume your soul.
Somewhere in my spiritual journey I picked up this saying: The most important thought you will ever think is what you think about when you think of God. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? No other occupation of the mind is more central to our existence than what we think of God. It affects every other thought and action that we undertake. It informs our relationships. It drives our work ethic. It colors our emotional state. It gives wings to our desires, passions, and purposes. Whether you are deeply religious or a devout atheist—what you think about when you think of God is critical to how you navigate life on this planet.
Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants. ” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?” (Genesis 50:18-19) We find in Joseph a kind of humble grace that deserves our thought and appreciation. His brothers had wronged him severely. They