Dear David; Christian Counseling

Dear David,

I’m just writing to let you know how much I appreciate our talk the other night. Your graduation from college is exceptional, and I want you to know how proud I am of you! Mental health and counseling is much needed (if provided from a Christian perspective). You are a tribute to perseverance and effort in pursuit of your goal, and you should be more than satisfied with the fruit of you labors! Congratulations on a job well done.

After having said that, I want to give you a something to think about on your road toward fulfilling your practice in family counseling. The first is this; The mind is just a tool which should be subject to the Word of God above everything else. The degree to which a mind is renewed to God’s Word is the degree to which that mind will be made whole – just as God intended. When Christ came He came to redeem our spirits; what we do with that redemption is a choice we each need to make by our submission to the Word of God because while our spirit is new, our mind is not. What do I mean by this? It is summed up in this quote;

Rom 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The first rule of Christian service is this; The heart is subject to sin, and the only recourse for sin is the New Birth through Christ! It is easy to get distracted by the many problems people face, but the overwhelming majority of these people have troubles because they do not know God. Their problems are just a byproduct of their spiritual state, so changing their minds through counseling alone will not be effective in the long-term sense of the word. You have to have a change of heart first! By renewing our minds to God’s Word we understand the realities of our situation in life, and have Scriptural truth available to combat those thoughts which would lead us astray from that truth. Any and every service we offer should be dedicated to introducing others to the truth of God’s Word. Anything short of that is an exercise in futility.

I have a quote from Vernon Grounds I would like to leave with you. It has to do with the reality of troubles and situations which enter into our lives, and the potential for good that these things hold. The simple fact is that our Father has the ability to use the bad things which come our way to bring about good results. This is something which I hope you consider in your dealings with those who come to seek your help;

“An individual, quite completely free from tension (problems), anxiety and conflict may be only a well-adjusted sinner who is dangerously maladjusted to God, and it is infinitely better to be a neurotic saint than a healthy-minded sinner. Healthy-mindedness may be a spiritual hazard that keeps an individual (from) turning to God precisely because he has no acute sense of God. Tension, conflict and anxiety, even to the point of mental illness, may be a cross voluntarily carried in God’s service.”

In essence what he is saying is that God can use the problems in our lives to draw us closer to Him.  What I say is that it is better to have a neurosis with a God-relationship than to be without a neurosis and without God! I’m sure you understand what I mean.

May God grant you wisdom, strength and understanding in your pursuit of helping others, and that by your personal submission to God’s Word you will be able to provide the direction and help that so many people are actively searching for. I look forward to hearing of your successes in your new career!

With Love,

Mark