Does Christian counseling have a label? Is it for the crazy people or the weak? I have been helping people for over 25 years and it isn’t about crazy or weak. It’s about the heart.
Most everything I bring to your awareness is about the limits you put on yourself. It is not the family you grew up in or the bullying in school. Actually, it’s not even about how much you weighed or how much money you had or didn’t have.
What, then, is Christian counseling all about? When you remove all the stereotypes and mystery from it, the answer lies clear and simple before your eyes. So, let’s take a look beneath….
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your life situations, the most important element may surprise you. It’s not really about the circumstances themselves. Rather, the most important thing is what you decided (your opinion) within that situation.
Decisions made with strong emotion and painful thoughts block you and put limits on your life. Is this a new concept to you? New or not, it is the truth.
Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart with all diligence for out of it comes the issues or boundaries (according to the original Hebrew) of life. The good news is you can change those life-limiting, joy-stealing, relationship-killing, and lack-of-money opinions by working with your heart and soul.
God Isn’t Doing it to You!
When I sit across from believers in my office they usually know the truth about what the Word says. They know it better than most people, including me! What creates the pain in their lives is they are not processing the Word. They know the truth in their head, but not in their heart and soul.
God isn’t waiting for you to make a mistake. God sees you through the finished work of Jesus. You are complete and perfect. He is sending the Holy Spirit (which is in you), people, angels, teachings, friends, and family to gently guide you into receiving the truth.
You see, for most of us, deep in our hearts, we believe that the truth is too good to be true. We create pain and chaos at an unconscious level–in the heart and soul level. That needs to soak in a bit.
Think about it. What if we really believed deep within that God gifted us to do ALL things through Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection power? Most of us long to move in what Jesus did and more. We say we believe but in our hearts, we hold limits on ourselves. God didn’t put those limits there; we did.
Why is that? I believe it is because we don’t understand that, before the foundations of the world, God set principles in place for us to live our lives by. The law didn’t work; it created fear, guilt, and shame.
But God sent His Son Jesus to give us all a level playing field. Regardless of our life circumstances, anyone can be free of all self-limiting beliefs. That is good news!
Effective Christian Counseling Separates the old Wine From the New Wine
Yes, at a heart and soul level, people judge themselves. They know Jesus made them righteous, which is right standing with God, but they don’t implement into their daily lives.
When it comes down to you personally, in those areas where you have painful results, you will find painful thinking as well. This reveals that, long ago, you disqualified yourself from the blessings and favor of God. It’s not a conscious action, but unconscious.
When we think of old wine we know it is the law. Jesus fulfilled the law. We now can take what we deserve and exchange it for what Jesus deserves. This is call propitiation. Jesus became our sin. If we are in Christ there is no more judgment. God fulfilled all judgment through Jesus.
THE Law or My Law?
When I talk about the law I am not really referring to the Mosaic Law. In Christian counseling, I am more referring to the laws–the judgments and opinions–that we write on our own heart as we experience life. These are the pain creators.
We are free from the law of sin and death through Jesus. Ironically, we receive Jesus for the sin sacrifice and yet continue to harbor, deep in our heart and soul, all the rights and wrongs done to us. To harbor means to create a safe place. We hold onto all of the messages that surround all those things, especially of the wrongs done to us.
Truths to ponder
- We are not saved by our good works but through the works of Jesus.
- The gift of God through Jesus is a sacrifice for you. God evened up the playing field for all.
- Peace is a product of experiencing the love of God.
- Jesus became your guilt, shame, and punishment…period.
- The Holy Spirit is continually convincing us of the truth that we are righteous are not compatible with sin.
- You can change your life by focusing on how much God loves you, not on your personal judgments and criticisms.
- God made a covenant with Jesus, NOT WITH YOU. You cannot break that covenant! Your performance does not change your righteousness because you are IN Christ.
Christian Counseling and the Aha!
I think people expect Christian counseling to beat them up with the Bible, to find out what is wrong with you. In reality, a good Christian counselor (as well as other counselors) wants to take your whip from you. People are so hard on themselves. Most do not admit it, but it is revealed by your fruit. Choosing to see yourself as God sees you will dramatically change your life.
It can be summed up like this: love is our goal. One more time, Christian counseling is not about finding the wrong. It is about facilitating your connection with the Holy Spirit inside of you.
You have the right to take off the limits and blocks, and to move into the desires of your heart for your life experience here on earth. It is called repentance, changing your mind about how you have judged yourself, life, and others. Everything God does He does through the heart.
If you are not experiencing, receiving, or processing how much God loves you, Christian counseling might be for you. Everyone finds what’s wrong. We are here to open the eyes of your heart to see yourself like God sees you.
Jesus paid an enormous price so you could experience abundance in every area of life. Yes, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
By aligning your heart and soul with the Holy Spirit inside of you, your life will change. It will change how you think about yourself and about life events, good or bad. When your thoughts change so does your heart, and out of your heart come the issues, the boundaries of life. Your external manifestations are mirroring your heart. Are you ready for a change?
How can I Know if I am Processing God’s love in my Life?
- You will love, feel loved, and see life’s circumstances through love. This comes by managing your thought life.
- How do you treat others? You can think everything is great between you and the Lord. Observe your relationships with others. It gives you clues to what you really believe about yourself and God.
- Are you intolerant? Intolerance is a sure sign there is judgment in your heart. Judgment blocks love.
- Do you anger easily? Anger is fed by painful thinking. Painful thinking comes from a painful event, real or imagined. The judgment or opinion sends a thought to your heart. It may not be the truth, but it is true to you, and the issues of your life come out of that.
- You will have a sense of peace and guidance that the Spirit of God is leading you because you are His son or daughter.
Try it you Might Like it!
If you find yourself having more days of hurt and sadness than happy days, step out and give Christian counseling a try. You may only have one repeated pattern in your life, but you don’t have to endure it. Receive healing today!
Please go to my website and opt-in to receive a short video series, 3 keys to managing your emotions.
CindyNeeley.com has tools for change as well. Among other things, there are exercises to help you move through stuck or blocked areas of your life. You have all the power!
To make an appointment with me for counseling, email me at Cindy@CindyNeeley.com or call 256-520-8489.
Healing Your Wounds His Way,
Cindy
