"For unto us a
child is born. Unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:7
I have a close friend who is a professional
counselor. Like most of the best
practitioners in the field, he has no
end of clients. People are flocking to
see him.
Professional
counselors used to be rare. Not too many
years ago, there was a stigma attached
to visiting a professional therapist.
Now therapy is commonplace and acceptable. It is now rare to find individuals who do not
seek or need a professional counseling.
Even if we do not seek counseling, we all need it from our friends,
co-workers, and relatives.
Whatever our
feelings about counseling, we all need
counsel from Christ. Isaiah calls Him a "wonderful counselor." He is a superior counselor to any the world
has to offer.
What makes Jesus a
wonderful counselor?
- He is absolutely free. The counseling fees have been paid by Christ Himself! His death on the cross has made it possible for us to come to him. No one ever turned away from Him.
- He accessible at all times. You don't need an appointment to talk with Him. You may come to Him at any time, day or night.
- He is never shocked by what we have to say. You can be completely honest with Him. He keeps absolute confidentiality.
- He encourages us to look forward, not backward. We are free to explore our past, but His focus is on the future. Jesus forgives our past mistakes so He can lead us into a new life, God says in Jeremiah 29:13, "I know the plans I have for you. . .to give you a future and a hope."
- He leads us to be greater independence, nor greater dependency. Christ doesn't do everything for us, and that's a good thing! He desires to see us thrive in the life He has given us. Christ gives us the power to realize our full human potential.
- He reveals our true selves. In counseling we make discoveries about ourselves. If the our self-image is a dishonest one, or incomplete, it affects our life and our happiness. God made us who we are, and in Him we learn more about ourselves.
- He doesn’t put up with our trash. Who wants a counselor who just agrees with everything we say, and does not challenge our presuppositions? A good counselor will point out what needs to be changed. Christ will challenge our lifestyle, thoughts, and emotions when they do not conform to the image of God in us. He will seek to lead us into a pattern of life that resembles Himself, and is consistent with what God has for us.
- He knows what we need before we ask. We often do not know what we really need from counseling, until we discover who we really are. Christ understands us immediately, knows us intimately, and loves us completely. He can lead us to realize what truly needs to change in us. It is not our circumstances that need the most changing, but our hearts. Only Jesus can help us see how to change our hearts.
- He gives us the strength to follow His advice. No other counselor can do that for us. Christ works in conjunction with God's Spirit to make change possible in our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Counseling
is good, helpful and even necessary for all of us. But no earthly counselor can
replace our Wonderful Counselor. Make a
daily appointment with talk to Him, and your life will be better for it.
"Dear
Jesus, thank you for listening to me.
Lead me to keep my daily appointment with You, and listen to Your
advice. Amen"
