An Open Letter to Those Who Feel Unqualified to Offer Counsel

"Dear believer,

The body of Christ needs you. It needs your words and deeds. That is simply part of the deal when you follow Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote, “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). You are already speaking encouraging words and building people up. Now keep doing it, more intentionally, more skillfully, more prayerfully—when a child scuffs her knee, when a friend is separated from a spouse, when depression strikes a person you know, or when someone has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Lord specializes in using people who feel weak in themselves.

If you feel inadequate to help others in need, especially those with more complicated problems, that is a perfect qualification. The Lord specializes in using people who feel weak in themselves, and your sense of inadequacy will probably protect you from saying something unhelpful. We are usually unhelpful when we are confident that we know what another person needs to hear.

You already know the basics of help and encouragement. First, you have to move toward the other person, which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. You have to talk together and hear what is important to the person. Next, let the person know that you have them on your heart—you are with them and are moved by what they are going through. That might be enough for one day. You have built up the body of Christ.

If there are awkward silences or if you are inclined to go further, you can ask, “Could you suggest ways that I could pray for you?” If you are concerned that such a question could sound like a spiritual platitude, remember that it is only trite if you are not really interested or are not actually going to pray. If the person is on your heart and you are praying for them, you have given them a great gift.

Convictions that Shape the Local Church and Biblical Counseling.

"With regards to biblical soul care well taught Biblical Counselors share 3 beliefs:

1) It is the church’s responsibility to counsel people through their struggles, rather than relying upon those outside the church.  

This does not mean one never goes outside the church for help or that some problems aren't both/and body AND soul issues.  Medical doctors have been trained with the physical body and biblical counselors have been taught how to care for the spiritual matters of the heart, soul, and mind.

2) Lasting life change is the goal of counseling, and the greatest change people need is to trust Christ enough to follow his ways. This decision of faith impacts all other decisions in life and helps them best deal with the struggles of life. Faith is never a secondary concern in counseling.

3) Christ models for us reliance upon the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures, and counselors should seek to increase that reliance as they help individuals grow in Christlikeness. We do not have the power or wisdom to change on our own. We need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the scriptures to change.

Within the church, these 3 beliefs are usually met with agreement. However, within many Christian counseling offices, these beliefs are often met with skepticism and resistance leaving them outside the counseling process.

Sadly, the gospel, the church, and the Holy Spirit are rarely discussed in many “Christian” counseling practices.  We talk to many pastors and churches who are troubled by this. They thought when they sought counseling at a “Christian Counseling” center that their faith would be part of the process and that their counselor would know how to direct them to the Scriptures for guidance.

So what do you do if you are troubled by this too?

Many churches are and have begun to respond. Rather than making a list of outside places where people can receive counseling/care, they have decided to equip individuals within their congregation to walk with the hurting. In order to consider this approach, you need to embrace four key convictions about Biblical Counseling that shape a ministry like this.

Key Conviction # 1 – Holistic Discipleship: Fulfilling the whole Great Commission