Christ Centered Biblical Counseling

I once met a retired pastor who’d become the assistant chaplain in the county jail. One of the prisoners was awaiting sentencing for buying old buildings, burning them down, and collecting the insurance. This man was also deeply religious and never went anywhere without his King James Bible. Clearly the chaplain wasn’t fooled, so I asked “did he burn down the buildings on Sunday?” At the sentencing, the judge said “I’ve read the bible too, and I recall somewhere it said “thou shalt not steal.” The accused had done a better job of lying to himself than lying to anybody else!

When it comes to religious counseling, it’s about morals, not psychology, on which we must concentrate or energy. In the chapter The Gospel in Balance, there’s a diagram of the science of forgiveness. I shows how we often let old grudges become more powerful than our will, and the grudge can turn into an idol that we worship. It is when things like guilt, anger, and envy take over our lives that we have to renew ourselves. We need to backtrack to the beginning, and set new goals for our lives. There are three elements to be found here; truth, worship, and change.

Now let’s look at the chapter Hope and Eternity, because “hope” is something where we usually mess up. We tend to think that “hope” actually brings things forth, and we end up sitting around waiting for a miracle to the point of narcissism. A more practical way for the counselor to bring the sufferer to her senses is by encouraging realistic goals. If you want proof, look at all those college grads out there who are bound for life to pay off student loans (note to the righteous, we must be slaves only to the Lord.) What was their goal in the first place? Did they think an expensive degree was a ticket to wealth? Did they think wealth was the ticket to happiness? Now look at the New York City public schools; starting teachers get the exact same salary, no matter where they got their degree. It’s the same thing for police officers, nurses, and army officers.

Before you even think of counseling someone who is troubled, read this book. It shows you how basic morals are the backbone of emotional health.