A few years ago, a man by the name of Isaiah prophesied about a birth that would take place long after his day. One of the names Isaiah gave this baby was “Wonderful Counselor.” In times past, I have heard preachers comment that counseling is not something a child of God needs. The inference was that any needed counseling should come from the Holy Ghost. All we need to do is teach and preach and let God take care of the rest.
When I was in Bible college, I took a class entitled “Christian Counseling.” My attitude at the time gave that class little significance. No doubt I rolled my eyes and made some mature comment about those in need of counseling. The following years proved that attitude to be wrong.
Christ preached and taught while on earth, and He expects the Church to continue these efforts. Many times, Jesus’ teaching was cloaked within a counseling session. There were times His counseling would be one-on-one. Other times, it was accomplished in a group setting. Now, God uses preachers to preach and teachers to teach. He also uses counselors to counsel.
Modern society systematically attacks Christian principles in many ways. Secular counseling is one of these ways. Secular counseling is often intended to undermine God and His influence in the lives of people. Obviously, church leaders would frown on this intrusion into the minds and lives of the flock.
Psychology, however, is the study of the human mind. Who better to understand the human mind than the Creator of the human mind! The problem is not counseling; it is that Christ has been taken out of counseling. Therefore, the solution is to put Christ back into counseling. Thankfully, many Apostolics are rising to this challenge and are pursuing the necessary academic credentials to help people from a Christ-centered perspective.
If you are called to help people through counseling, please contact us. DayStar Ministries is a NCCA Certified Academic Institution. We have a degree transfer program and can help you receive certification or a degree in Clinical Pastoral Christian Counseling.