Counseling Angry, Unmotivated, Self-centered, and Spiritually-indifferent Teens | CCEF

Counseling Angry, Unmotivated, Self-centered, and Spiritually-indifferent Teens | CCEF

Why counsel?

Sometimes people ask me why I am studying biblical counseling. “Why would you want to counsel people? I could never do that,” I hear. I do believe that it is a specific calling for me, but, at the same time, Christians are all called to reach out to hurting people with the love of Christ in many different ways. We are to speak the truth in love to people (Ephesians 4:15). We are to be the body of Christ and to show people that there is hope, even in the midst of despair, because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many things led me to pursue biblical counseling. The world is full of hurting people, often without hope. We see it daily in the news. I hear it in conversations with people. My dad had a personal experience with deep depression 2 years ago and I watched as he went from sheer hopelessness to restoration, by the power of God through prayer. That same year, I went on a mens’ weekend away with my church at the time (Morningside Baptist Church, Edinburgh) and listened to 2 friends sharing at an Open Mic’ time: one spoke of his own journey through depression and hope in Christ; the other a Clinical Psychologist with the NHS in Scotland, and of his passion as a Christian in that field. That day I knew that I needed to become a counselor. I am so thankful for God’s tugging at my heart as I was comfortably working for Scottish Water at that time.

Why pursue counseling? This song by Leeland and Brandon Heath sums it up well:

You live among the least of these

The weary and the weak

And it would be a tragedy

For me to turn away

All my needs You have supplied

When I was dead You gave me life

So how could I not give it away so freely?

And I´ll

Follow You into the homes of the broken

Follow You into the world

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God

Follow You into the world

Use my hands use my feet

To make Your kingdom come

To the corners of the earth

Until Your work is done

Faith without works is dead

On the cross Your blood was shed

So how could we not give it away so freely?

Follow You into the homes of the broken

Follow You into the world

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God

Follow You into the world

(repeat)

And I give all myself, I give all myself

I give all myself to YOU

(repeat)

Follow You into the homes of the broken

Follow You into the world (Follow YOU)

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God

Follow You into the world

Follow You into the homes of the broken

Follow You into the world

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God

© 2010 Leeland/Provident Label Group LLC.

From here on out

I Samuel 7:12 talks about a pillar of remembrance being raised up by Samuel that he called an Ebenezer. The word Ebenezer means stone of help and it signified God helping the Israelites against their great enemies, the Philistines. Samuel said “thus far the LORD has helped us”. That’s how I feel with this past 12 months – all of my life, in fact - but especially the last 12 months.

I want this blog to be an Ebenezer in my life. I never want to stop and settle in life, thinking that I have arrived. Life is such a journey and my blog title “From here on out” signifies that. I want to continually be pausing and seeing where I am on my journey on which God has placed me.

It was Socrates who said “The unexamined life is not worth living”. I’m no expert in Greek philosophy but Socrates’ thoughts on the importance of examining our life is such a good exercise. We often need to take stock of where we have come from, where we are in the present and where we are going.

I have been blessed beyond measure in 2010, completing my first year at Seminary, marrying the woman of my dreams and setting up home with Bekah in North Jersey. But, this is not my final destination. Like Paul, in Philippians 3:13&14 I want to look forward to what God has ahead for me, and for us, as a couple. That is what God has called us to, in Christ Jesus. We are relational people, created in God’s image and we are to relate well to those God has placed in our lives. There are opportunities all around us to show people what God is like and what a follower of Jesus should look like. We will stumble and fall but God is full of faithfulness and grace, each new day.

“From here on out” is not the same as turning over a new leaf or a more determined resolve than before. We desperately need God and his influence in our lives. We are needy people of His grace time and again. I want to take stock, take time to reflect and to thank God for this life, in Jesus. I want to grow in His love and grace and exhibit that to others – from here on out…

Crazy times

It has been way too long since my last blog, but, hey a lot has been happening since January: my winter Term at Seminary, a wedding to plan, apartment to move, etc etc. I am so thankful for God's grace and strength. It was an incredibly busy 6 months but also an incredible period. I am now a happily married man living in the quiet town of Butler, NJ and love B so much. She is proving to be quite the wonderful wife!!

The different seasons of life always have things to teach us and I want to be a good listener to God's voice. What has He been saying in my life? "Trust me, walk with me, enjoy spending time with me." During crazy times - good or bad - it is so easy to get distracted. I want to continually be going deeper with God - through His word and prayer and relating to people. Hopefully, see you on here more regularly too!