- “It’s All About My Personality”
I thought I would be a good counselor because I am a people-person. Many do become counselors for that very reason—they just love people. That may be helpful, but by itself it isn’t help. People need direction, too. God gave me a caring personality so I could explain his truth in love, not just empathize (Eph. 4:15). I’m thankful for my personality, but I also know it’s not enough.
- “It’s All Method”
After four years in the counseling program, I hoped to have some kind of rigid template to rely on for ministry. I’ve come to realize, however, that counseling is not like formatting a paper. There’s no magic formula you can use for the rest of your life. Biblical counselors depend on the Holy Spirit to work in them just like every faithful preacher on Sunday morning. We can’t just go on autopilot, give three points and expect people to change. Instead, my professors have taught me to pray before, during and after every counseling session for wisdom. They may have written the books on counseling, but they know they are still desperate for the Holy Spirit’s work.
- “It’s About Being Cool”
When I first discovered biblical counseling, it felt like a new way to do ministry. It was trendy and innovative. Excuse my “I did Biblical Counseling before it was cool” bumper sticker. It turned out that I had misunderstood the movement.
What I needed to realize was that biblical counseling is not cool. Calling people to repentance is terrifying. Loving difficult people is exhausting. Walking through Scripture with people is perplexing. Yes, it’s true that the reward is worth every second. But I needed God’s Word to remind me that the ministry of reconciliation is like being sentenced to death – with life and joy only on the other side of self-sacrifice. (2 Cor. 1:8-9).
- “I Don’t Need Biblical Counseling, Too”
Sometimes I’ll make excuses about why my problems aren’t serious enough to talk to someone about. If you’re like me and think only serious problems warrant biblical counseling, think again. Paul encourages us to exhort one another every day so that we are not hardened by the deceitful power of sin (Heb. 3:13). This implies dealing with our daily problems and not becoming callous to little sins in our lives. Biblical counsel is not just for “strugglers”; it’s for all of us.
- “I Have This Figured Out”
“You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” It’s humbling to admit that sometimes I am the horse, and even though I found water in biblical counseling, I am often stubborn. I haven’t reached the goal; none of us in the movement have. We are all weak and human, in need of Jesus to save us from even our best efforts. Paul Tripp summarizes it when he says, we are “people in need of change helping people in need of change.”
God has used biblical counseling as an essential catalyst for my spiritual growth. Over the years at Boyce, I have too much good to share about how my degree has shaped my life and ministry. I pray that Boyce and the Biblical Counseling Movement will keep growing and be a help to people like me who need change.
Seth Mick is a senior at Boyce College. He is studying biblical counseling, and serves as a Resident Adviser. He is a member at Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, KY.