Christian Counseling: Ministry within the Church

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Emma Shows, One of Thousands of Christian Coaches on Noomii.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson believes that the entire man – body, mind, soul and spirit – must be considered when offering therapy for a suffering believer. He addresses many issues that people all over the world face and offers the thought that all people, not just Believers in Christ, look for God in many forms (through faith, through legalism or through spiritism/religion). Only then is man whole.
Anderson posits that having the mind of Christ and truly taking on the image of God in the very character that defines a person is essential for the Christian counselor and vital for the one seeking help. It is only in this way that the counselor is able to see the person and not the problem. This in no way takes away the reality of the problem, but it helps the counselor to assist the client realize that the problem does not define the person – no, the person defines the problem, turns it over to God and then breaks free, thus becoming a new creature in and through Christ.

While the client is battling the powers of darkness, the counselor is responsible for aiding the Believer in recognizing spiritual oppression and breaking free of the sins that bind him or her: ancestral sins, habitual sins, pride, rebellion, bitterness, deception, false guidance – so on and so forth. The counselor must be sure to ground himself in Christ before taking on the mantle of Truth to share with others.
People face issues of mental illness, poor self-esteem, self-proclaimed poverty, self-abuse, victimization, etc. and allow the problems to define who they are – living as victims and not moving forward with their lives. According to a study published in Psychiatric Services, “Mental health professionals and researchers have emphasized the importance of linking services to improved quality of life among individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses. At the same time, stigma is related to a decline in well-being and life satisfaction in this population” (Kristen Marcussen, 2010).

Dr.Anderson (2003) writes in Discipleship Counseling that “Every defeated Christian has one thing in common: None of them knows who they are in Christ nor understands what it means to be a child of God” (p69). It is the duty of the counselor to first recognize who they are in Christ and come to that spiritual understanding. It is only when the counselor is truly able to love others and see others in Christ that the counselor is then able to lead the client to a deeper understanding of self as God sees the person – made in His image.

According to a study published in Oxford titled Partners in the Spiritual Dance, “A therapist and client may be similar in terms of a particular religion or belief system, but may differ significantly in their specific beliefs and practices, or in the centrality of spirituality to their daily lives” (Margaret L Keeling, 2010). A Christian counselor is to guide the counselee to a deeper walk with Christ and in this closer walk, a spiritual freedom – which often results in physical freedom (from ailments, illnesses, diseases). The same Oxford study found that “In addition, a person’s spirituality may be vague in some areas, well defined in others, relatively constant in some respects, and in other respects in a state of flux. People who come to therapy, in particular, may be experiencing spiritual crises and growth…”(Margaret L Keeling, 2010).

The counselee must make the move from viewing self through negativity (the Powers of the Darkness [the devil]) and start viewing self through the blood of Christ, as God does in Hebrews 10:10, that the believer has “been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (The Holy Bible, NIV, 2010). The way one perceives the self results in self-concept which “plays an important role in linking services and stigma to quality-of-life outcomes. …‘self-esteem and mastery mediated the relationship between services received and quality of life’” ((Kristen Marcussen, 2010). Only when the one agrees with God that the individual is created in His image (Psalm 139) is the client able to realize that “the problem does not define the person. The person defines the problem.”

Friends and family may look at the client and see a person with “Bipolar disorder” – but the Christian counselor may realize that the person suffering with Bipolar disorder or schizophrenia is actually suffering from Spiritual attacks or self-imposed guilt from misinterpreting Scripture. The apostle Paul warns believers to be prepared to fight against the principalities of darkness by donning the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). The helmet of salvation and the sword of Truth, which is the Word of God, is given to Believers to protect the thoughts and heart of the believer and ultimately equips the Believer for battle.

In Romans 12:2, Paul warns believers to no longer “conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” – the believer is to take captive every thought, identify every problem or every cause of their illness. The counselor is to guide the counselee through the process in order to free the client to “be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Biblegateway.com, NIV, 2010).

Dr. Anderson impresses upon the Christian counselor the importance of leading the counselee in verbal acknowledgement of one’s sins, bondages and in the authority of Christ. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that one is able to proclaim “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

With competent guidance, the quality of life and the thought processes should improve – Dr. Kersey, a pastor at Court Street Baptist Church, and his flock believe that this is “not necessarily immediate…but eternal” (Lecture, 2010). The quality of life is directly linked to the way one thinks of his/her own self.
Once the counselee is able to think with the mind of Christ, the Christian counselor is able to encourage the seeker to trust God completely, casting all the cares of the world on Him (I Peter 5:7). As this is accomplished, the mind will be free and a more positive outlook on one’s situation is attainable.

Dr. Anderson identifies several root issues that prevent spiritual growth and intimacy with God. Once these root issues are addressed the counselee will begin to experience freedom and growth in Christ. The following issues affect every person, believer or not, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically: 1) False Guidance and Participation with Cults and the Occult; 2) Deception; 3) Bitterness; 4) Rebellion; 5) Pride; 6) Habitual Sin; and 7) Family Ties.

With the identification of these root issues, the client is able to experience hope – hope which is the foundation for faith in Christ. Victoria McGeer (2004) writes “To live a life devoid of hope is simply not to live a human life; it is not to function – or tragically, it is to cease to function – as a human being” (p. 101).

At no point whatsoever is the counselor to stand as judge and jury. The counselor is not equipped, nor is the counselor called, to offer condemnation. The counselor is called to encourage, to lead, to guide and to equip the counselee. This is best done with the support of the church, the family and friends of the client. Oft times the church chooses to pray over and anoint the counselor, providing training or encouragement for the counselor to establish a counseling ministry. The pastor, administrative staff and prayer warriors are vital to a successful ministry through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

By following the Biblical mandates to: encourage, submit to one another, confess one’s sins and forgive one another, the believer is able to live eternally, spiritually free and able to experience true intimacy with Christ. This intimacy and relationship develop over time, deepens with spiritual disciplines, and is established through implementing routines of prayer, devotions, worship, Bible study and fellowship with fellow believers.

References
Anderson, N. T. (2003). Discipleship counseling: the complete guide to helping others walk in freedom and grow in Christ. Ventura: REGAL.

Brian D Majerus, S. J. (2010). Differentiation of self and Christian spiritual maturity: social science and theological integration. Journal of Psychology and Theology , 38 (1), 41.

Kersey, Wilbur. Court Street Baptist Church. 2010. Lecture.

Kristen Marcussen, C. R. (2010). The Effect of services and stigma on quality of life for persons with serious mental illnesses. Psychiatric Services , 61 (5), 489.

Margaret L Keeling, M. L.-M. (2010). Partners in the spiritual dance: learning clients’ steps while minding all our toes. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. , 36 (2), 229.

McGeer, V. (2004). The art of good hope. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , 592, 100-127.

The Holy Bible. 2010. BibleGateway.com. Retrieved on June 18, 2010. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+5&version=NIV
The Holy Bible. 2010. BibleGateway.com. Retrieved on June 20, 2010. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010&version=NIV
The Holy Bible. 2010. BibleGateway.com. Retrieved on June 20, 2010. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:10-18&version=NIV
The Holy Bible. 2010. BibleGateway.com. Retrieved on June 20, 2010. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:1-5&version=NIV

An earlier version of this article can be found on Gather.com