Counsel for Pastors Intimidated by Counseling

Wise Conversations

The call to counsel does indeed sound a bit intimidating. It sounds intimidating to me, and I do it all the time!

Here's one way we can approach it: I think the word counsel is a complicated one. It’s a word I don’t tend to use because it has such professional connotations. It seems like it’s identifying a particular craft that we’re not familiar with. So let’s relabel counseling as wise conversations. At its very best, that’s what professional counseling is—it’s wise, helpful conversations. All of a sudden, counseling becomes a little less intimidating. “Oh, OK. It’s within my reach to grow in wise conversations.”

Caring for One Another

Edward T. Welch

Edward T. Welch guides small groups through 8 lessons aimed at helping ordinary Christians create a community where people bear one another’s burdens and care for each other in times of trouble.

If we’re still overwhelmed, it’s important to ask ourselves why. There are two different versions of being overwhelmed. One is, “I’m overwhelmed, I can’t do it, and I’m going to run from it.” The other is, “I’m overwhelmed but God has called me to care for other people.” Feeling overwhelmed is exactly where I want to start, because then I will pray more. I will pray more for the other person and I will pray more with the other person. And if I don’t understand what that person is struggling with, I will get help from others. So being overwhelmed is not quite as bad as we think it is.

Ultimately, what are we doing? This thing we call counseling, or the care of souls, or wise conversations—it’s all aimed at helping us know someone well enough that we are able to pray for them. That’s really what we’re looking for. That’s our passion. It’s what we love to do. Our goal should simply be to grow in such things.

Edward T. Welch (PhD, University of Utah) is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. He has been counseling for more than 35 years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. His books include When People Are Big and God Is Small, Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away From Addiction, Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest, Shame Interrupted, and Side by Side. He blogs regularly at CCEF.org.

12 Truths for Depressed and Anxious Christians

Richard Baxter, Michael S. Lundy

August 07, 2018

Be sure that a theological error is not the root of your distress. Especially have a solid understanding of the covenant of grace and the riches of mercy revealed in Christ.