Discipleship and Counseling

Introduction

Biblical foundations are important to the kingdom of God. When they are not properly laid out, the structure on top is wobbly. The church is so wobbly now-a-days, that Christians are running out to find solutions for their life problems elsewhere. They no longer have hope that God has a solution. So many people have left the church because it doesn't have a solution. We need to change that by building up God's truths so that people again understand that God has a way for His people to live full lives. Before we do this, we need to present a clearer picture on what has gone on in the Western and somewhat the Easterm church for the last one or two generations. Unless we confront the seriousness of the problems, we will not find any solutions.

These problems stay problems because no one can see them as problems. They assume this is the way life is or has to be. Most Christians, having a problem with depression or their marriage, will turn outside the church for help rather than inside. Something radically wrong has happened within the church that would bring about this general mindset within the Christian community. Let me identify two of these terrible problems that have encroached upon the church. Both are bad; the later one is reprehensible. These problems stay problems because no one can see them as problems. They assume this is the way life is or has to be.

(1) Responding Wrongly to Life Crises

The first situation is seen in how Christians respond to personal problems. When a Christian faces a problem in his life, his first thought is to go to some professional psychiatrist for help. This is part of the secular mentality. People don't think that God has anything to do with our problems in life whether it be anxiety, anger, weight problems, sex addiction, depression or loneliness. The first place they turn is to this class of professionals.

We must ask what do these people think of their Savior. Has Jesus Christ shown Himself only to be able to treat a certain kind of religious guilt feeling? Would He be happy for us to go to another professional to deal with these guilt feelings? When we look at Christ's life, we find that He dealt so adequately with every need of man that great numbers of people were seeking Him.

We are not given the impression that Jesus was just some guru - a spiritual advisor for spiritual problems. We find that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. He came to deliver man from every sort of problem that he faces up with including the modern maladies.

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:13-15, NASB).

Again, why is it that the church has no longer any trust in her Savior to care for her? Evidently, she is not being taught that Jesus Christ can sufficiently deal with these problems. We, of course, do understand that the whole educational system has now fully incorporated the professional psychiatrists as a new priest to bring about normalcy. This is a great problem for we need to see that man's trust in God first had to decrease before this group could seize control of man's last hope. In terms of hope, I should add they can only hold to their positions as long as man does not believe God has the answer. Once the church again puts her hope and confidence in the Lord, this newly ordained secular priestly class will begin to waver and fall.

One might wonder what is wrong with psychiatrists. At this point let us not address ourselves to the unbeliever. They do not have the Savior. They have a whole set of pacifiers for their pains of disobedience. In our discussion, I will only include Christian psychiatrists which can in their individual situation do good and pass on God's love. Unfortunately, they generally add to the overall confusion to their patients.

Why is it often wrong for the Christian to go to the psychiatrist for help and counsel?

1) First of all, we find that they generally are seeking help apart from God. God has set up different ways to deal with difficulties, whether physical, emotional, affliction or spiritual. These healing means are through His local church.

A modified exception might be a person the elder knows well and then sends the brother back to the church. However, this referral usually excludes the accountability to the elders within the church and therefore misses the true healing path God has provided for.

When a person turns to a psychiatrist and gets better, then God gets no glory. God's name is shamed. People lose hope in God. More than often, those who go to psychiatrist offices do not get better. They, now though have put their trust in someone not in the church and definitely not in God. They might say, "I trust in God through the psychiatrist," but assuredly they have not sought God out in His house. In essence they look for a solution outside of God.

2) Psychiatrists get money per visit or client. They get paid a lot for their services. They get paid more if their patient stays dependent for long periods. In some countries this is overlooked because the government or health insurance covers this charge. God's healing is not this way. We do not find that Jesus or His disciples charging for healing.

Pastors are provided for by the congregation's wholistic caring for the flock of God. This is very different.

3) Psychiatrists are not pastors. They perceive man's needs not through God's eyes. Therefore their solutions will fall short of God's advice. Can you join me in a moment and wonder why a Christian would trust a psychiatrist for advice and not the pastor? This means that the Christian does not have faith in God and His Word.

We understand that at times a Christian will see problems in the church leadership. They might not be exemplifying God's holiness and therefore cannot trust them. This is a shame, and yet God has chosen to work through them. We still ought to go to them and then examine what they say with scriptures. There are many false shepherds who do not know the Savior.

4) Psychiatrists for the most part use drugs to lessen the extremities of the client's situation. These drugs are often expensive, always have side affects, always disturb the body's balance, often become long term solutions and oftentimes are very addictive. In fact, the medicines can cover up the pain that God might use to bring that person to repentance. The drugs often cloud over the mind so that God's solution cannot be accepted.

We praise God that God can break through the effect of drugs on people's minds but this is rare. Many more sit drugged up in some hole without any sense of accountability and watched over like an animal in a zoo. What a shame that we just accept this suppose process of healing! Many think they are being cared for. They are not! They are being abused.

5) Psychiatrists base their practice on unbilical teachings. This includes many so-called Christians. For example, when a Christian doctor takes a person into confidence and cannot share his client's case with his pastor. Has he not set up himself as a spiritual guru to this person?! When the psychiatrist tells the Christian to do something different from the pastor, he has different a different authority.

This, however, is just the beginning of problems. Study Psalm 1 and examine the life of the righteous. They do not listen to advice from those not sourced in God's Word.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. (Psalms 1:1-3, NASB).

Why would any Christian listen to unbiblical counsel?! For example, many so-called Christian counselors recommend divorce. They give their reasons but their advice in many cases is wretched. This is so different than the pastor who gives his heart, prayers and biblical counsel to the couple with no charge to seek for their true healing.

6) If we open ourselves to counsel outside our pastor even the so-called Christian counselor, we often do not have any means to discern whether they love God and the scriptures or not. We do not see them active in the church. We should not trust these strangers who serve for money. (We at times see counselors that are on the staff at a church. This situation is much improved).

But what if ...

• My pastor doesn't really get into God's Word. He doesn't believe God's Word really can help people.

Then we should quickly find a church that loves and lives by God's Word. A church could accept such a pastor only if they agree with him. If the pastor is not feeding the flock then go find one that is.

• What if my pastor suggests for me to go see a psychiatrist for some problem you face?

This is a good test to see what the pastor really believes about God's Word. First, give him the benefit of the doubt. Pray for him and encourage him by saying that you believe God will help him through God's Word find a solution for you. By saying this, you affirm his authority and willingness to listen to him. Many a pastor has given up hope to find people that really trust God's Word. Secondly, remember, that pastors have on the whole not been trained to bring the power of God's Word to the heart of the individual. It is not difficult, but they just have no confidence in this. Sometimes when they do, it is because of psychiatry courses, though, and then still they do not use God's Word! In the end, if you find your pastor simply does not care enough for you to pray and seek counsel from God for your life, then he should not be your pastor.

• What if the pastor suggests a counselor within the church?

Some churches are so big that they actually have counselors within the church. This situation can work out quite well or be not much different from being in an outside clinic. Some pastors specialize in couseling through God's Word and in a big church put all their focus on this need. Since their advice will include God's framework of the church, this is not bad. There are also a whole set of volunteer counselors. They might be state certified and maybe not. Certification binds the counselor to the state rules. Each state is different. But it makes a whole lot of sense to have counselors who can help others at different stages of difficulty.

We sometimes think we need to talk to some specialists when we have ignored how God can provide through some brother or sister who has gone through such times. (See 2 Corinthians 1). Again, they should work with the elders rather than separate from them.

• What if you have noone else to go to?

We encourage you to go to Jesus Christ. Read the Gospel of Mark. See how people were helped when they met Jesus. This isn't any different today. You ask, "Where can I find Jesus?" We find Him where God's people are. Find a church that prays and loves the truth of God's Word - not these 15 minute sermons, but ones that dig into God's truth. God uses problems to bring an awareness of our need of Him. Respond to Him and ask Him to lead you.

(2) Christian Leaders have Given Up

The second problem is worse than the first. In a sense, it causes the first. The pastors, elders and teachers who are to guard the Christian and guide them into the way of righteousness have accepted this new priestly class. God's servants are no longer trusting God. Many pastors themselves are seeing these counselors! Of course, the flock is going there too. We end up with a dead religion.

We no longer belief God has the solution. We have become believers of secularism. We might never say it but we believe religion is for spiritual comfort but not for real problems of daily life.

The pastors, elders and teachers do not have any solution for these broken people.

• Sometimes these pastors are overworked. They have so many people to see and so little time to do it. They have not trained their members how to care for each other and so like Moses in the Old Testament, they have no recourse but to line up and get a little advice. It is easier to refer them elsewhere.

• They do not feel their advice is sought for. People do not want to listen to their instructions. They don't let people know how they can help them and so the people just go to these clinics.

• They have no received training on what to say to people with serious problems. The few seminaries and biblical training institutes that believe in God's Word are so seriously teaching the Bible and interpretation of it that they forget the goal of God's Word.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16,17, NASB).

We are not equipping God's servants to speak to these situations. A few of these pastors will try to further equipping themselves or find God has put a number of people with a certain problem in their lives so that have to seek Him for a solution. But overall, we find that they cannot cope. I have pastored. I have met and prayed with many pastors and heard the problems they face. They just don't know what to say.

• Things got a lot more difficult when drugs, legal and illegal, prescribed and unprescribed, became common. Once a person is on medication, a pastor is so limited on what to say. The drugs infer they already have a higher confidant. They show they trust someone else enough to disturb their bodies and highly potent drugs.

It is humorous in some ways. Here their own members might give $50/ month in giving to the church but they will pay $100/hour to see these pyschiatrists! I wonder why so many formerly called pastors are going into counseling?!

We have not been trying to criticize the world trying to get by. That is all they know. But we are very upset on how God's people as a whole have given up hope on God for solutions to our modern day problems. Let us focus on a few beginning solutions.

1) We need to repent for thinking God's inability or uncaring nature to efficiently deal with our problems.

2) We must begin demanding real training for our men going into the ministry. In the end, we wnat them to know how to approach people facing these problems. Yes, we realize many are young and have many things about life to learn, but let us set a strong foundation. We want them not only to know God's Word but how to use it as my son says, "Help me to know how to use my sword (refering to God's Word in his life)."

3) As elders of God's church, we need to start repenting for not believing God to have solutions for His people and make us those people God can use to pass on His love and light.

4) We need to set up possbile means to work through different problems so that we can easily train spritualy mature people on how to counsel them through God's Word.

In summary, we need to confess our sins of doubt and begin to get serious in seeking Him for wisdom so to bring real healing to our flock.