I do not consider myself to be a theologian or a counselor (although one could argue that everyone is both of these) but I would like to weigh in on this subject because of the importance of the matter and because few seem to dare to broach this subject, so here are my thoughts.
It seems to me there is somewhat of a disconnect between the theologians of our day and those that desire to be people helpers through the medium of counseling. When I refer to theologians in this article I am talking about the type that are generally conservative in nature and are bold defenders of a pure Gospel. In their ambition to keep the church from drifting away from the core of God’s truth, they sometimes become skeptical of those who do not put as strong an emphasis on theology and doctrine, and since many counselors do seem to be lacking in their theological structure, a mutual mistrust is created.
Probably the biggest area of concern for the theologians is in the area of human depravity. They often see counselors as merely trying to convince people that they have the ability to self-improve and therefore are no longer reliable on the grace of God. They also see counselors as helping people by simply giving them an artificial happiness cloaked under the guise of a good self esteem, rather than educating them as to their degenerate state of human sinfulness and their utter dependence on the saving grace of God. They see many counseling methods as fundamentally selfish since the counselee is often only concerned about feeling better or having a better life. . In short, they feel that counselors are guilty of enabling people to merely become better sinners.
Unfortunately these accusations are not entirely unfounded. In the diverse world of Christian counseling there are many who have adopted the world’s methods of therapeutic practice to help their clients. So what can counselors learn from theologians? Counselors can learn to be more Biblical and more reliant on scripture and the fundamentals of Christianity. They can learn that when a ministry or individual does not have a solid foundation of Biblical truth guiding their ship they can very easily get off course. They can learn that systematic theology is more than just the stuff of preachers, professors, doctorates, and seminaries, it is a basic understanding of the glorious truth of the everlasting gospel. It is what we believe about God, man, sin, and redemption. Ignoring it will not better ones counseling practice.
On the other hand I do believe that theologians can learn something from the counselors as well. They can learn that God is not concerned so much about his people “having it all together” as He is concerned about a deep abiding intimate relationship with the ones He created in His image. They can learn that some hurts are so deep that a mere “now do the right thing” is as ineffective as spanking a child who is traumatized by the fear of failure. Some hurts go so deep that they need someone who is stronger to come down into their point of greatest hurt, pick them up and point them to Christ – Who can give them the strength to “do the right thing”. This, I believe, is a true manifestation of Christian love.
If we believe that man’s ultimate purpose is to glorify God, then this should also be our ultimate purpose for counseling. It is not just about making someone comfortable in their sin; it is about helping them to be released from the bondage and power of sin and its consequences and through the power of Christ to live a life of freedom and joy, a life that does ultimately glorify our majestic God. But how can one live this way when he is bound by bitterness, anger, depression, doubt, and fear. The theologian says – that’s easy you’re dealing with sin issues you need to repent, and, except for the part about it being easy, they would be right. A good counselor, however, looks deeper and finds out what the real issues are. What if the individual wants to forgive but has no idea how? What if they have repented over and over of their bitterness but it continues to haunt them? What if they long to trust God but their trust in anyone has been shattered by events in their past – maybe even an event something like being abused by a sibling, abandoned by a mother, or raped by a father.
Don’t get me wrong I am not doubting the power of God to heal and redeem, but I am saying that sometimes it is substantially more complicated than simply going to the alter and asking for forgiveness. For these individuals it is a battle of immense proportions, a battle between the forces of evil and the forces of good. A battle that sometimes gets ugly and painful. A battle that they may not be able to fight on there own. Sometimes God gives strength to individuals to work through difficulties on their own and sometimes he sends someone who is stronger to aid them in the fight and help them see what they can’t see on their own. This shouldn’t surprise us since that is a very important part of the calling of the church – that is to show the love of Christ to the downtrodden the. Good counselors are the ones living this out. Sometimes the rest of us are just content to sit on the sideline, enjoy the show, and criticize the effort. It’s time to link arms, hold fast to Biblical doctrine, and wade into the battles with our fellow strugglers. It is our calling.
So theologians don’t write off the counselors – they need you, but remember, you just might need them as well.
For more information on Christian counselling please check out WTS books.
