Dr. Timothy Sumerlin - Denver, CO, USA •
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6
We've been discussing Jesus the Healer recently. An old friend of mine, Steve Saindon, has written on Jesus, the wonderful Counselor and has some words of wisdom for us to consider as we seek help in our recovery.
Many of us seek help through the use of a professional counselor.
Our "Wonderful Counselor" has blessed me greatly with a mostly healed up soul. It is taken many years, mostly because I was slow to learn and sometimes resistant. Sometimes his advice was very difficult to follow. By the way, his instructions do not formulate within our minds without the word of God. One of the most efficient ways not to heal up is to follow your feelings instead of the Bible.
Feelings are only helpful in the counseling realm if they are synchronized with the word of the "Wonderful Counselor." I have found three particular books in the Bible that have had a major impact within my inner-being.
One of the bigger purposes of the Song of Songs is that it reveals how God views his bride. The Song has taught me that my bridegroom is always crazy about me. He adores me even when I am messed up. In his relationship with me, he is there to heal me not condemn me. That is a big theme within the Song of Songs.
First Peter, which is all about how to righteously suffer through unfair treatment has taught me not to blame my sin on others or respond sinfully in the midst of bad treatment. And the book of Proverbs has helped me with the details of everyday life. It especially reveals how I should treat others in practical ways and help build a loving community.
Today, many counselors both secular and Christian are realizing you can't heal without a gracious community. The book of Proverbs is loaded with the kind of healing advice that most people go to counselors for. Although not the only part, but a large part of healing comes from learning to do the right thing. Proverbs is super pregnant with that kind of counsel.
My encouragement would be to become skilled at identifying this pretender because he is one of the most deceptive false Jesus' within our modern world. This is because so many are enamored with worldly wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). – Steve Saindon
