"Be Careful How You Counsel"
The faithful people of our congregations normally take our counsel to heart. Overall, I would say that when a pastor or his wife takes the time to invest in someone who has questions or needs, usually their advice is heeded. I know before my husband and I were in the ministry, whenever we spoke to a pastor, we just assumed the counsel or direction would be solid and spiritually grounded. We might have bounced our particular problems off our peers and sorted things out to the best of our abilities, but, there was just something so comforting in pouring your heart out to someone whom you regarded to be spiritually seasoned. Keeping these things in mind-may I speak plainly? We’d better watch what we say. Too many times I’ve been around the all-knowing sages who take it upon themselves to tell some poor troubled soul exactly what the Lord is thinking. I’d be careful about that. That’s a mighty big conjecture on our part.
Then there are the counselors who don’t have a clue as to what counsel they should give. And so they just give their own home grown opinion. Years ago a very close, very young friend of mine was having serious marital problems. As she went for some counseling it was suggested to her that her husband was drinking too much coffee and that if he stopped, conjugal bliss would certainly be theirs. This innocent young woman sincerely considered the advice but soon discovered that whether her husband drank decaf, regular, or espresso-it had no bearing on their sad situation. It wasn’t until years later, when the man was triumphantly won to Christ that his home and marriage had significantly improved. Years of heartache could have been avoided if someone would have confronted that young man about his lack of spirituality and made him accountable for his actions.
Occasionally, there are members of our churches who seem to require counseling every single service. And you feel you are telling them the same thing over and over. While many of us have experienced this, it is still important to remember that we are ambassadors for Christ and we must speak the truth in patience, longsuffering and love. Be composed, forbearing and gentle; prayerfully considering the path the Lord would have you take in counseling these souls.
What a wonderful privilege we in the ministry have to be in a position to actually be able to encourage our saved brothers and sisters onto higher ground. As we do so, be careful, be cautious, a conscientious counselor, a loving listener. Someone who is known for their Christ like wisdom and a life that proves they walk with the Lord.
