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Biblical Counseling Coalition: Grace & Truth
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Partner with the BCC: Our New BCC Partner Program Q&A

BCC Staff May 20, 2013
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BCC Partner Program

The BCC has just launched the BCC Partner Program. It is a significant new way that you can partner with the BCC in accomplishing our mission of multiplying the ministry of the biblical counseling movement.

Our BCC Partner Program Q & A serves as a great way to introduce you to this new opportunity.

1. What is the new BCC Partner Program all about?

The BCC Partner Program is a unique new way to take part in the BCC and the biblical counseling movement. BCC Partners have the opportunity to show support of, benefit from, and participate in our mission multiplying the ministry of the biblical counseling movement through collaborative relationships and robust resources.

2. Who is the BCC Partner Program for?

The BCC Partner Program is for individuals and organizations that are looking to expand their online footprint while helping to support the movement of biblical counseling simultaneously. BCC Partners have stated in writing that they are in agreement with the BCC Confessional Statement, Doctrinal Statement, and Mission/Vision Statement, and so join together in advancing the biblical counseling movement.

3. How is this program different from others?

The BCC’s Partner program is a high-octane combination of visibility, partnership, and collaboration. We believe that quality resources should be shared, especially as they help lay counselors, pastors, students, and teachers in promoting solid biblical counseling. The BCC Partner Program is the only one of its kind where partners gain the kind of targeted visibility they’re looking for while obtaining excellent biblical counseling resources from across our networks, thus better equipping you for ministry and growing awareness of the biblical counseling movement.

4. What are the benefits of becoming a BCC Individual or Organizational Partner? Here are the ABC’s:

  • Access to Exclusive Partner Resources: The opportunity for you and/or up to twenty members of your organization to sign up for the BCC Partner E-Source Connection, a BCC Partners-only email with exclusive BCC resources organized by category, along with other information designed to equip you to promote personal change centered on the Person of Christ through the personal ministry of the Word. Learn from some of the most well-known and trusted biblical counselors in the nation and world in this exclusive content. For example, the June Partners-only resource is a 36-page PDF on Biblical Counseling and Mental Illness co-authored by several leaders in the biblical counseling movement.
  • Branded Visibility: The opportunity to be listed on the BCC website in a listing of contact information of individuals and organizations who have BCC Partner Status. This is a high value-add for any individual or organization’s online presence and with our large and growing audience, the BCC website is a true hub of what’s going on in the world of biblical counseling.
  • Commitment to Biblical Counseling: The BBC is a trusted organization and resource in the world of biblical counseling. Being a BCC Partner is your personal chance or your organization’s chance to make a clear statement and add your voice to the growing movement in the world of biblical counseling. Being able to state on your website and marketing material that you are “A Partner of the BCC,” is your opportunity to stand together with us as we affirm the confessions, doctrine, and vision of the Biblical Counseling movement

5. What does it cost to become a BCC Partner?

  • Individuals: $30.00 (to be renewed annually as Partnership dues)
  • Organizations: $50.00 (to be renewed annually as Partnership dues)

6. How do I get started?

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Megaphone Post, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers | Tags: , , , ,

Depression and Imbalanced Approaches

Lilly Park May 20, 2013
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Depression and Imbalanced Approaches

BCC Staff Note: You’re reading Part One of a four-part BCC Grace & Truth blog mini-series on depression. In addition to today’s post by Lilly Park, this series will include Depression, Catastrophizing, and Elijah by Pastor Pat Quinn; Depression…Is It All in Your Mind? by Sherry Allchin; and Disciplines of a Depressed Soul by Pastor Paul Tautges.

Where Do We Go?

You’re at your desk and you open the folder containing the counseling form for your appointment next week. At the top of page four, it states to check off relevant problems. The person you will meet with placed a check mark next to the following descriptions:

  • Diminished interest in all, or almost all, activities
  • Significant weight loss or weight gain
  • Insomnia or hypersomnia
  • Fatigue nearly every day
  • Recurrent thoughts of death

At the end of the form, the person states that depression is the reason for counseling.

Where do we as biblical counselors go from here?

First, we aim to be holistic in our approach. Is this person a Christian? Has this person seen a doctor? Are there relevant circumstances in the past or present? What about medications and side-effects? And so forth.

Maybe in the process of gathering data, we realize that grieving (or something else) is a more accurate description than depression. Once I met with a woman who had been married for almost 40 years. She became a widow two years before our meeting and up to that point she had believed depression was her problem. As we talked about her husband’s death, she finally allowed herself to grieve, which became a turning point in her life without him.

A Holistic, Comprehensive Approach

We also should keep in mind a holistic view of human nature. Christians wouldn’t support a reductionist view of human nature, yet sometimes our responses to depression would indicate otherwise. Do we focus on chemical imbalance and antidepressants more than anything else? It’s helpful to know the latest research, but it still does not change the Christian’s goal in life.

The temptation is to find an answer that will explain everything, but God doesn’t work that way. I would say that the issue of chemical imbalance is secondary to the doctrine of humanity—a biblical/theological anthropology. Why? Regardless of the latest scientific research or successful methodology, this person, sitting across from your desk, has been created in the image of God. Remembering this theology can prevent counselors from approaching depression in an imbalanced way.

Whether a person takes antidepressants or not, the Christian goal in life remains the same: to glorify God (despite how I feel).

Avoiding an Imbalanced Approach

A balanced approach means guarding against two extremes that result in oversimplifying or complicating the issue. Here are some examples of an imbalanced approach:

  • •Overly focusing on suffering. We acknowledge depression to be an overwhelming struggle and respond with gentleness and love. At the same time, we are careful not to allow the struggles to eclipse the Christian’s obedience to God.
  • •Overly focusing on the usage of antidepressants rather than the person’s response. More importantly, is this person trying to change and please God?
  • •Overly focusing on the spiritual issues. Let me clarify. I am not saying that the gospel, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines are not important. They are! However, we unintentionally convey that we don’t “get it” or understand the problem when we talk mostly about God or the Bible without addressing practical changes, such as completing a long overdue task or making that difficult phone call. Another potential misperception is that we don’t believe their physical or emotional struggles to be “real” or important when we don’t adequately address them. Here are some helpful comments: “I believe you.” “It’s okay to cry.” “You don’t have to apologize.” “Is there anything else you want to share or talk about?”

Does knowing more about our bodies and struggles make it easier to glorify God? Maybe. It could provide relief, some answers. At times, it is helpful to know in order to make a wise decision. In the end, however, we are left with a decision as to whether we will allow pain and suffering to determine our response to God’s will: to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). What makes this possible? A stronger body? Good feelings? Maybe you are in a very difficult situation and it doesn’t look like changes will occur, but how will you take a small step in pleasing God today? Ultimately, it’s a choice. Our choice reflects our belief about God’s character and purposes.

Our health and emotions do affect us but are not more powerful than the work of the Holy Spirit in us. I do want to be sensitive about physical and emotional struggles and acknowledge their realities. But, again, do we allow those struggles to become an excuse?

I’ve met some people who struggle with depression and they live a defeated life. Their diagnosis and emotions are more powerful in their minds. They start attending church less, fellowshipping less. Life is too hard, they say.

Living by God’s Grace

Thankfully, following Christ is by God’s grace. Yes, we do our part by seeking God’s Word, praying, and fellowshipping, but everything is by God’s grace. When we are living obediently, it’s by God’s grace. When we attend church even though we don’t feel like it, it’s by God’s grace. When we fall, we stand up by God’s grace. Sometimes, we forget that God is at work in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Where is our confidence? Is it in our strength, health, or emotional well-being? Not until we place our confidence in God and His grace do we experience a lifting of our soul––a theme of the Psalms.

His grace is sufficient to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). A life without pain doesn’t make it easier to live a godly life, but, a godly life does make it easier to endure pain. As we minister to someone struggling with depression, may our goal not be merely alleviating pain because the Christian life is so much more.

Our message to those struggling with depression is that it is possible to live life to the fullest for those who know Christ as their Savior and Lord. We can assure them that their usefulness isn’t dependent on their health or abilities. Their greatest hindrance to living life fully has been victoriously won at the cross. Now, it’s a matter of living in light of this reality.

Join the Conversation

As a counselor, how do you seek to balance the physical and the spiritual (the whole person) when counseling someone struggling with depression?

As someone struggling with depression, how do you seek to respond to your struggle by balancing the physical and the spiritual (the whole person)?

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Depression, Grief/Loss, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Sadness | Tags: , , , ,

BCC Weekend Media Resource: Biblical Counseling, the Church, and Mental Illness

BCC Staff May 18, 2013
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The BCC Weekend Media Resource

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have recently run a series of posts addressing the important issue of Biblical Counseling, the Church, and Mental Illness. Here are direct links to those recent posts.

Join the Conversation

What additional resources do you recommend on biblical counseling, the church, and mental illness?

Topics: Biblical Counseling, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Psychology and Christianity | Tags: , , ,

Friday’s 5 to Live By

BCC Staff May 17, 2013
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Friday's Five To Live By 2012

Each Friday our BCC staff links you to the top five biblical counseling and Christian living blog posts of the week—posts that provide robust, rich, and relevant insights for living.

Prayerlessness Is Selfishness

Tim Challies writes about the impact on his life of reading H.B. Charles Jr.’s It Happens After Prayer. One quote from Charles includes:

“The things you pray about are the things you trust God to handle. The things you neglect to pray about are the things you trust you can handle on your own.”

If that isn’t convicting enough, read all of Challies’ post at Prayerlessness Is Selfishness.

How Can I Pray for Someone in Intense Suffering?

Pastor Brad Hambrick helps us to reflect on a vital area of ministry—prayer.

“How can I pray for someone in intense suffering? When I someone tells me about losing their child or having been sexually abused I know I should pray with them. There aren’t ‘answers’ that are going to ‘fix’ the situation. They need God’s comfort and to know His presence. But when I think about what to pray nothing seems ‘right.’ Can you help me handle these situations better?”

Listen to Brad’s answer in his video blog: How Can I Pray for Someone in Intense Suffering? 

Mothers’ Day for Non-Mothers and Others

This past Sunday 1,000s of churches honored mothers on Mothers’ Day. This post by Bob Kellemen could help churches on future Mothers’ Days and Fathers’ Days to minister to the entire congregation more sensitively. It addresses the question, “How do we honor Moms while being sensitive to the reality of many women for whom Mothers’ Day is very painful?” Read Dr. Kellemen’s brief but pointed reflections in Mothers’ Day for Non-Mothers and Others.

4 Carnival Mirrors We Are Prone to Look Into

Paul Tautges explores Paul Tripp’s book Dangerous Calling and examines 4 Carnival Mirrors Pastors Are Prone to Look Into.

Renewed Ministry

At the Between the Times blog site, they’ve excerpted from Alvin Reid’s work As You Go: Creating a Missional Culture of Gospel-Centered Students. In the excerpt they focus on moving From Moralistic Therapeutic Deism to Gospel-Driven Realism. Don’t let the title intimidate you. This is an important read for all those who do biblical counseling and church ministry.

Join the Conversation

Which post impacted you the most? Why? What blog posts have you enjoyed this week that you want to share with others?

Topics: Five To Live By, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers | Tags: , , , , , ,

A Biblical Counseling Perspective on Mental Illness

Bob Kellemen May 16, 2013
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A Biblical Counseling Perspective on Mental Illness

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have run a series of posts addressing the important issue of biblical counseling and mental illness. In addition to today’s post by Dr. Bob Kellemen, we’d encourage you to read:

Responding to Wise Counsel

My good friend, David Murray, in a post entitled Maximizing and Minimizing Mental Illness, correctly indicated that a person’s view of mental illness could be wrongly explored from the perspective of sin maximizing or body minimizing. David further urged biblical counselors to clearly communicate their perspective.

I write this post in response to David’s wise counsel. What perspective shapes a biblical counseling view…of life, of counseling, of people, of mental illness?

Putting Matters into Historical Context

In thinking about the modern biblical counseling movement, it is appropriate to consider the writings of Dr. Jay Adams, who in the 1970s launched nouthetic biblical counseling. Jay entered a culture where for a century the church had become something of a “sin minimizer.” Jay wasn’t the first or the only person to perceive this. Consider E. Brooks Holifield’s excellent A History of Pastoral Care in America. Holifield’s sub-title says it all: From Salvation to Self-Realization.

Holifield wasn’t a biblical counselor arguing for a nouthetic model. He was a historian. In that role, he traced the movement in American pastoral care away from a focus on sin, grace, and salvation, to a focus on self.

Even the world-famous secular psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, asked in his book by the same title, Whatever Became of Sin? A secular psychiatrist detected the drift away from sin…

By placing the rise of the modern biblical counseling movement within its historic and cultural milieu, we see that Jay was pulling a pendulum back. The church, not to mention the world, had swung the pendulum away from looking at life issues through a biblical grid of salvation, sin, and grace.

Jay’s Focus: Sanctification and Shepherding

Even within this context of sin minimizing, Jay’s ultimate goal was never the simple exposure of sin. His ultimate goal was the glory of God through the sanctification of His people through pastoral shepherding and one-another mutual care.

Consider the title of Jay’s most theologically-focus work, More Than Redemption: A Theology of Christian Counseling. Jay saw that the church not only had lost a focus on sin and salvation; the church had also lost her focus on sanctification—on daily growth in Christlikeness through all the vicissitudes of life.

The church of his day either ignored sin and salvation, or they talked about salvation from the pulpit, but were reticent to get involved in the daily messiness of life through personal ministry. In this setting, Jay called pastors and God’s people back to addressing daily life together—the Bible calls it sanctification. In an era when pastors were delegating the care of souls to secular psychiatrists and psychologists, Jay was calling the church back to mutual one-another soul care.

What’s in a Word?—“Nouthetic”

Consider Jay’s definition of nouthetic—to confront out of concern for heart change. Some seem to think that nouthetic counseling should be defined as: to confront.

That was never Jay’s model or practice. It was confrontation out of concern. And it was concern for change—heart change—a model of sanctification maximizing. Jay believed Romans 5:20—“where sin abounds, grace super-abounds.” Our current call for the church to help the mentally ill is a full generation behind Jay’s call for the church to help people address their daily life struggles.

In summary:

  • Modern biblical counseling originated from the call to awaken the church to its duty to provide pastoral shepherding and one-another soul care.
  • Modern biblical counseling launched with a focus on sanctification maximizing and shepherding maximizing.

The Ongoing Growth of the Modern Biblical Counseling Movement

Moving from the launch of the modern biblical counseling movement in the 1970s/80s, we can explore the perspective of what some have called “the second and third generations” of biblical counselors. For important context, I encourage the reading of:

While no one can speak for this diverse group, I’d suggest that the Biblical Counseling Coalition at least in part represents first, second, and third generation biblical counselors. A visit to the BCC’s Bio Page introduces you to 56 members of the BCC’s Board of Directors and Council Board. These diverse members are pastors, counselors, authors, and educators from a wide spectrum of leading churches, para-church organizations, and educational institutions committed to biblical counseling.

A Movement Desiring to Grow in Christ

When the BCC BOD/CB members developed the BCC Confessional Statement, we introduced ourselves with these words:

“We confess that we have not arrived. We comfort and counsel others only as we continue to receive ongoing comfort and counsel from Christ and the Body of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-11). We admit that we struggle to apply consistently all that we believe. We who counsel live in process, just like those we counsel, so we want to learn and grow in the wisdom and mercies of Christ.”

We concluded with these words:

“We want to listen well to those who disagree with us, and learn from their critiques.”

Think about the words that “sandwich” the BCC’s Confessional Statement:

  • We confess that we have not arrived.
  • We want to listen well to those who disagree with us, and learn from their critiques.

The biblical counseling movement preaches progressive sanctification. We all pray that we practice what we preach.

Biblical Counselors Seek to Be Grace/Gospel/Christ Maximizers

By the title of our first collaborative work, biblical counselors wanted to communicate clearly concerning our conviction about our foundational beliefs. By titling that book Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling we were wanting to be heard saying that we seek to be Christ/Grace/Gospel Maximizers.

By the sub-title of that book, we wanted to state clearly our passion and compassion for helping hurting and hardened people (people like ourselves). By sub-titling the book Changing Lives with God’s Changeless Truth we were wanting to be heard saying that we are Christ/Grace/Gospel Maximizers.

I personally said it like this in Soul Physicians:

“What would a model of counseling look like that was built solely on Christ’s gospel of grace”?

Biblical counselors believe and want to practice the amazing truth that Christ’s gospel of grace—His throne of grace—is a place of sympathy and help (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16).

Biblical counselors wanted to spread the same message of Christ-centeredness in the Preamble to the BCC Confessional Statement:

“We pursue this purpose by organizing our thinking around one central question. ‘What does it mean to counsel in the grace and truth of Christ?’”

Biblical counselors wanted to spread the same Christ-maximizing message in the title of the Confessional Statement Introduction:

“In Christ Alone.”

Biblical counselors wanted to spread this Christ/Gospel/Grace-maximizing message in the statement entitled “Biblical Counseling Must Be Centered on Christ and the Gospel.” That statement explains, in part:

“We point people to a person, Jesus our Redeemer, and not to a program, theory, or experience. We place our trust in the transforming power of the Redeemer as the only hope to change people’s hearts, not in any human system of change. People need a personal and dynamic relationship with Jesus, not a system of self-salvation, self-management, or self-actualization (John 14:6). Wise counselors seek to lead struggling, hurting, sinning, and confused people to the hope, resources, strength, and life that are available only in Christ.”

Whatever the BC view of mental illness is, I pray that it is not derived from an attitude that maximizes sin. I pray that it is derived from a mindset that exalts Christ as Lord of all. All of us in our brokenness; all of us in our fallen, yet-to-be-glorified bodies; all of us together live, move, and have our being in Christ alone.

In summary:

  • Modern biblical counselors seek to be Christ/Gospel/Grace maximizers. The modern biblical counseling movement has gone on record that the benchmark for biblical counseling is Christ’s gospel of grace that calls us to be Christ-centered, grace-focused, gospel-saturated shepherds and soul care givers.

Biblical Counselors: Seeking to Be Compassionate, Comprehensive, Whole Person Maximizers

Here’s the challenge that I think we biblical counselors need to address:

  • How do we speak compassionately and comprehensively about mental illness and about the complex interaction of the brain/body/mind/soul?
  • How do we address any concerns about root causes of life struggles without being heard to say that we are ignoring the whole person or lacking empathy for social factors and physiological issues?

To address those issues, I agree with David Murray—we need to speak clearly and emphatically about our desire to be compassionate and comprehensive care givers.

Samplers from the BCC Confessional Statement

We sought to speak emphatically about compassionate, comprehensive care in the Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement. Here are a few samplers.

Biblical Counseling Must Be Founded in Love

We believe that Christ’s incarnation is not just the basis for care, but also the model for how we care (Hebrews 4:14-16; John 13:34-35). We seek to enter into a person’s story, listening well, expressing thoughtful love, and engaging the person with compassion (1 Thessalonians 2:8). The wise and loving personal ministry of the Word takes many appropriate forms, from caring comfort to loving rebuke, from careful listening to relevant scriptural exploration, all while building trusting, authentic relationships (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15; 1 John 4:7-21).

Wise counseling takes into account all that people experience (desires, thoughts, goals, actions, words, emotions, struggles, situational pressure, physical suffering, abuse, injustice, etc.) All of human experience is the context for understanding how God’s Word relates to life. Such awareness not only shapes the content of counseling, but also shapes the way counselors interact so that everything said is constructive, according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to the hearer (Ephesians 4:29).

Biblical Counseling Must Be Comprehensive in Understanding

We believe that biblical counseling should focus on the full range of human nature created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). A comprehensive biblical understanding sees human beings as relational (spiritual and social), rational, volitional, emotional, and physical. Wise counseling takes the whole person seriously in his or her whole life context. It helps people to embrace all of life face-to-face with Christ so they become more like Christ in their relationships, thoughts, motivations, behaviors, and emotions.

We recognize the complexity of the relationship between the body and soul (Genesis 2:7). Because of this, we seek to remain sensitive to physical factors and organic issues that affect people’s lives. In our desire to help people comprehensively, we seek to apply God’s Word to people’s lives amid bodily strengths and weaknesses. We encourage a thorough assessment and sound treatment for any suspected physical problems.

We recognize the complexity of the connection between people and their social environment. Thus we seek to remain sensitive to the impact of suffering and of the great variety of significant social-cultural factors (1 Peter 3:8-22). In our desire to help people comprehensively, we seek to apply God’s Word to people’s lives amid both positive and negative social experiences. We encourage people to seek appropriate practical aid when their problems have a component that involves education, work life, finances, legal matters, criminality (either as a victim or a perpetrator), and other social matters.

Biblical Counseling Must Be Thorough in Care

We believe that God’s Word is profitable for dealing thoroughly with the evils we suffer as well as with the sins we commit. Since struggling people usually experience some combination of besetting sin and personal suffering, wise counselors seek to discern the differences and connections between sin and suffering, and to minister appropriately to both (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

Biblical counseling addresses suffering and engages sufferers in many compassionate ways. It offers God’s encouragement, comfort, and hope for the hurting (Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 1:3-8). It encourages mercy ministry (Acts 6:1-7) and seeks to promote justice. Biblical counseling addresses sin and engages sinners in numerous caring ways. It offers God’s confrontation of sins, encourages repentance of sins, presents God’s gracious forgiveness in Christ, and shares God’s powerful path for progressive victory over sin (1 John 1:8-2:2; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; Colossians 3:1-17; 2 Timothy 2:24-26).

In summary:

  • As biblical counselors, we seek to avoid sin maximizing. And we seek to avoid body minimizing.
  • As biblical counselors, we seek to maximize compassionate, comprehensive care for the whole person in their whole life situation so that they can grow toward wholeness in Christ. 

I agree with David Murray—biblical counselors need to speak compassionately and comprehensively about soul care for the whole person.

Our Task Moving Forward: Looking at Life with Focused Lenses

As I see it, here’s what we all need to be talking about:

What do biblical counselors who maximize sanctification, shepherding, Christ, the Gospel, grace, compassion, and comprehensive—whole-person—care believe about mental illness and the church?

These are the “lenses” through which we need to address the vital issue of mental illness and the church.

Let’s carefully and compassionately define what we mean by mental illness from a comprehensive biblical perspective that includes wise assessment of valid scientific research. Then let’s biblically and lovingly interact about what it looks like for the church to minister well and wisely.

Join the Conversation

How would you define the perspective that shapes a biblical counseling view…of life, of counseling, of people, of mental illness?

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Equipping, Gospel-Centered Ministry, Pastoral Resources, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mental Illness and Compassion

Charles Hodges May 15, 2013
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Mental Illness and Compassion

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have run a series of posts addressing the important issue of biblical counseling and mental illness. In addition to today’s post by Dr. Charles Hodges, we’d encourage you to read:

Compassion and Labels

It has been over a month since I heard the sad news that the son of a well-known pastor had chosen to take his own life. I have had little to say about it other than that I continue to pray for the pastor and his family. Sometimes that is best thing I can do when it is hard to ask questions and the answers don’t seem adequate. The pastor said it best. “In the first shock of an unspeakable tragedy, don’t speak. Hug them! Weep with them! Just be there. Use touch, not words.”

As a medical doctor and biblical counselor, there is something I do need to talk about. A lot of questions have been raised about the relationship between terrible outcomes for struggling individuals and the attitude of the church toward the concept of mental illness. Some of what I have read has been constructive. Some of it has muddied the water.
The central thought is that the church as a whole stigmatizes those who have been diagnosed or labeled with mental illness as defined by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). We are told that a smaller part of the church wants to ascribe all such labels to the sin of the struggler.

World Magazine took aim at “Christians (who) still don’t know how to offer grace and mercy to people suffering from mental illness and suicidal thoughts” in their April 16 article “Condemnation Trumps Compassion in Suicide Response.” At the start, it is off by just a couple of degrees which in golf means it will be yards away from the green on landing. The problem, as I see it, is not so much with the church, and if you aim the argument there you will miss the point.

The problem often can be with the undefined term mental illness.
In order to be compassionate, the church does not need to agree to a concept whose definition is in dispute. The current definition of mental illness is the DSM and the 5th revision is due to be published in May. It comes with controversy because many believe it takes normal human behavior and redefines it as disease. This is not a view held by a small segment of biblical counselors; it is the view of a significant number of those in psychology and other counseling disciplines.[i]

Recently, Ed Stetzer said in his blog[ii], “If I’m struggling with grief, with sin, or with any host of issues, having people who can encourage me or even counselors in the Christian tradition are wonderful. But there is a difference between that and mental illness, which is a physiological reality. We wouldn’t shame someone for getting a virus. Why do we shame someone for having a chemical imbalance that leads him or her to a lifelong struggle with depression?”

I know that it is hard to communicate complicated subjects in 500 word blogs and Stetzer has done a good job with it. However, his effort illustrates what I think is the struggle. As long as we speak of speak of “psycho-biological disease” in undefined terms such as mental illness and then leave the definition of it to those who control the DSM, we will be faced with deciding how to help people based mostly on their labels.

I do not think it is wise or helpful to concede to the idea that compassion does not include a careful scientific and theological examination of the diseases and disorders that we are asked to accept. In fact, I believe we are obligated. Otherwise we will find ourselves saying “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder” when we mean tantrum.

We will also be held captive to the idea that all those labeled with depression are ill. It is likely that 90% of those labeled as depressed today are struggling with normal sadness due to loss.[iii] It is not necessarily compassionate to tell them they are ill. As one struggling friend who had suffered a huge permanent loss in life said, “it gave me hope to know…I am not sick, I’m just sad.” It is also not compassionate to tell the other 10% who cannot express why they struggle, that they are not sad and that their problem is not real.

What Compassion Requires

Being compassionate is not connected to what we think about counseling or terms like mental illness. We can stand on both sides of the divide and be kind to one another. We can show compassion to the pastor who lost a son. We can withhold judgment and show mercy. We can do all of these things and never agree about the cause or care for those who struggle. We can do them because the Lord who loves us demands that we do so.

Being compassionate does not require that we agree with the idea that a chemical imbalance leads anyone to a life-long struggle with depression. Last summer the head of the National Institute of Mental Health said, “There is no biochemical imbalance that we have ever been able to demonstrate. What we think about are changes in circuitry and how the brain is processing information.” [iv] To say that we must agree with a theory whose scientific basis is unclear in order to be kind, tender-hearted, and love one another is simply not true. We can be compassionate and we must without regard to labels.

Biblical counselors can, in a kind, compassionate manner, address the suffering that comes with chronic medical illness. That includes the 10% of those who suffer and struggle with sadness, or depression for which there is no obvious cause. One case I remember[v] involved a patient who had struggled with headaches and sleeplessness for months and was diagnosed with depression. The young man had sought counseling and was eventually sent to see me by the counselor because no counseling problem seemed to exist and there was no significant loss that should have caused sadness or sorrow in his life.

Eventually, we found a solution to the young man’s problem that responded to medical care. In the process we reduced his medication list from nineteen prescriptions to one. Compassion in his case involved finding healthcare that was not fixed by the labels with which he came. It also involved a biblical counselor referring a counselee to a physician when he was convinced there was no underlying spiritual explanation for the problem.

So, I suggest we continue to pray for the pastor and his family who no doubt continue to suffer due to their loss. And, while we do it we should keep in mind James 2:12-13 remembering that mercy triumphs over judgment.

Join the Conversation

What does it look like for the church to show compassion to people struggling with deep, ongoing emotional distress? How can the church compassionately and intelligently address issues related to the diagnosis of mental illness?

[iii]This concept is discussed at length in Good Mood Bad Mood by Charles Hodges, and in The Loss of Sadness by Alan Horwitz and Jerome Wakefield.

[v]All case studies are composite and do not reveal unique patient information in respect of patient privacy.

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Christian Living, Pastoral Resources, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Psychology and Christianity, Suffering | Tags: , , , , ,

The Church’s Mission and Psychiatric Disorders

Robert Cheong May 15, 2013
5 Comments

The Church’s Mission and Psychiatric Disorders

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have run a series of posts addressing the important issue of biblical counseling and mental illness. In addition to today’s post by Dr. Robert Cheong, we’d encourage you to read:

A Growing Awareness

Steve, a man in your small group, shares that he was recently diagnosed with bi-polar after years of all-too-familiar cycles of erratic behavior and seasons of despair. He confesses that his marriage is a mess and his wife told him that she can’t trust him anymore.

Anne, a young woman who faithfully serves in the prayer ministry, pulls you aside and confides that she has been experiencing psychotic episodes which are now linked with schizophrenia. Some of her friends in her accountability group care about her deeply but have pulled back, not knowing what to do or how to act around her.

You are also becoming more and more aware of the number of men and women throughout the church who have shared about their ongoing struggle with depression. Some even admitted, with shameful hesitation, that they battle with desires to end their lives.

Your heart and soul are deeply stirred by the profound needs of God’s people. Can the church make a difference in the lives of those struggling in these and other ways?

Overwhelmed and Confused

Whether you are a church member or ministry leader you might find yourself filled with a sense of compassion, but it is eclipsed by feelings of fear, ignorance, and incompetence. In your head you affirm the gospel is enough for those living with mental illness but in your heart you find yourself tentative, unsure of how the gospel can tangibly make a difference not just for eternity, but here and now.

Perhaps your experience within the church has been filled with heated debates as to the validity of psychiatric disorders [i]and consequently, the appropriateness of using psychiatric medications. Or perhaps you have witnessed the church delegate all counseling responsibilities to the mental health professionals who have trained for years and specialize in such difficult issues. Being fixated on either end of the spectrum can undermine God’s mission by approaching such issues in either an overly simplistic or complex way.

So what can and must we do as the church?

God’s Mission for the Church

The particulars of life do not change God’s mission, but rather, serve as the context for his redemptive work. So what is God’s mission for the church? God calls us, as his people, to join him as he advances his kingdom in this world, spreading his glory while making his name known.

But how can we participate in such a mission? By loving one another both in the church and world in ways that help everyone involved to see, trust and obey Jesus as our living hope, perfect love and merciful Redeemer.

Everyday Mission and Common Factors

How can we make a difference in Steve’s life and marriage as he and his wife desperately desire refuge from their chaotic world? How can members of Anne’s community journey alongside her with confidence, free from the pressure of “fixing her” or saying the wrong thing? How can we offer hope to those men and women who are struggling with the enduring darkness of depression?

According to mental health professionals, there are four common factors associated with change:[ii]

  • 40%: Social support, life experiences outside of counseling,
  • 30%: Common factors in counseling—warmth, empathy, acceptance, encouragement of risk-taking, etc.
  • 15%: Expectancy of receiving help (placebo effect),
  • 15%: Counseling theory and techniques.

Looking at this list we quickly see the first three factors, totaling 85%, can and often do take place within the church as God’s people draw near and bear one another’s burdens. Regarding the last 15% associated with counseling theory and techniques, we have to believe that our God, who designed, created, and redeemed us as His people, has given us what we need for life and godliness through knowing him and abiding in his love through Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Peter 1:3-11).

But we must grow in helping one another live out the incomparable realities of God’s presence, promises and power in our failing bodies. The gospel specializes in dealing with disordered living on this side of heaven … so must we as the church.

Needed Community Inside and Outside the Church

Not only must the church step out by faith to care for one another with the gospel in the church and world, but we should do so as a community for three broad reasons. First, God has called each of his children, not a select few, to make disciples (Matthew 28. 18-20). He has also called pastors to equip the saints to participate in God’s mission (Ephesians 4:12-16). As the body of Christ, we must journey together with lock arms to and fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 3:12-14). God has gifted the many members of his body (not just the trained professionals) to work as one to accomplish his mission.

A second important aspect of ministry as a community involves learning and growing with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who serve in the mental health field, both in our own church and in surrounding churches. Such intentional relationships centered on Jesus and his deep and powerful work of redemption will sharpen everyone involved (Proverbs 27:17), resulting in wise, well-rounded ministry.

The last aspect of community to keep in mind is being witnesses to the gospel’s transforming power as we work alongside social workers, mental health professionals and others in the city when we care for those inside and outside the church. God is glorified when we team up with case workers and they listen to how the gospel is personally connected to real life and watch the members of the church gather around and love their “clients” during times of deep suffering and brokenness.

Jesus’ Invitation and Promise

Steve and his wife, Anne and her community, and those struggling with depression, along with every person in the church, can and must respond to Jesus’ continual invitation to come to Him and find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). He also promises that when we draw near to the throne of grace we will receive mercy and find grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus not only sits on the throne of grace, but he is God’s grace. Jesus is always with us, even in the midst of our chaos, delusions, and darkness.

The Rest of the Story

To see how Sojourn Community Church has taken steps to equip the church to care for those struggling with bi-polar, schizophrenia, and chronic depression, check out the Care in Community Training conducted in January 2013.

Join the Conversation: What About You?

As a church leader, what vision have you given the church for God’s mission and how have you equipped them to care for one another with the gospel?

As a church member, how have you personally carried out God’s call to come alongside those struggling with the seemingly overwhelming stresses of life?

Do you think the gospel can make a difference in the lives of those struggling with a psychiatric disorder?

Are you willing to participate in God’s redemptive work in the lives of those around you?

May God give us the grace to fight the good fight of faith for His glory!

[i]In this article the terms “psychiatric disorders” and “mental illness” are used interchangeably.

[ii]Siang-yang Tan. (1995). “The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: Implications of Outcome Research Findings for Clinical Practice,” in Journal Psychology and Christianity, Vol. 14(1), 66-72. Lambert, M. (1992). “Implications of Outcome Research for Psychotherapy Integration,” in J. Norcross & J. Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of Psychotherapy Integration (pp. 94–129). New York: Basic Books, cited in James W. Drisko’s article, “Common Factors in Psychotherapy Outcome: Meta-Analytic Findings and Their Implications for Practice and Research” in Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, (2004). www.familiesinsociety.org.

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Christian Living, Equipping, Local Church Ministry, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Psychology and Christianity | Tags: , , , , ,

Lessons Learned from the Dark Valley of Depression

Paul Tautges May 14, 2013
5 Comments

Lessons Learned from the Dark Valley of Depression

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have run a series of posts addressing the important issue of biblical counseling and mental illness. In addition to today’s post by Pastor Paul Tautges, we’d encourage you to read:

BCC Introductory Note

The following post first appeared at Paul Tautges’ Counseling One Another site under the same title Lessons Learned from the Dark Valley of Depression. The BCC is re-posting it here with Paul’s permission. In this post, Paul interacts with chapter 28, “The Complex Mind/Body Connection” by Laura Hendrickson from the BCC’s recently released Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.

Lessons Learned from the Dark Valley of Depression

Yesterday’s post, The Mind, Body, and Medications, concluded with mention of the experience of Bob Somerville whose lengthy testimony concludes Dr. Laura Hendrickson’s chapter in the new book Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling. Dr. Somerville is a NANC-certified biblical counselor and professor at the Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California. In this gutsy testimony, Bob shares how the grace of God brought him through a deep, dark, and unexpected encounter with depression.

In today’s post, I ask you to listen to Bob as he shares the lessons that God taught to him as a result of his time in the valley. But first, here are two quick bullet point lists of the external factors that contributed to the onset of depression, as well as the spiritual disciplines that Bob sought to maintain while in the fog of depression.

‘Life Factors’ that Contributed to the Onset of Depression

  • Excruciating back pain following his return from teaching overseas, making it difficult to walk.
  • Emotional drain from intensive counseling of a person in crisis
  • Full teaching load at college
  • Local church ministry
  • Back surgery to repair a herniated disc, which re-herniated, leaving him on his back for two months
  • Loss of 50 pounds and all muscle mass
  • Heavy pain medication plus medication for insomnia
  • The resulting inability to teach and preach

Disciplines that Continued While in the Valley of Despair

  • Daily time in the Word
  • Reading many books on the cross, the gospel, and hope in Christ
  • Helped by Ed Welch’s book, A Stubborn Darkness
  • Sought counsel from a biblical counselor
  • Encouragement of a faithful wife who hardly left his side for months

Engulfed by Darkness

“…but still the depression engulfed me to the point that I become nonfunctional. I had no feelings whatsoever, even of being saved—which was the worst feeling of all, not being able to sense God’s saving grace. I had constant thoughts of suicide. Everything was black and hopeless. I truly believed I would never preach or teach again.”

“The depression became so severe that I was taken to the hospital completely out of touch with reality. After receiving a combination of psychotropic drugs in the emergency room that morning, it appeared by that afternoon that I had come back to normalcy. However, within a few days the effect wore off and there was need for further medication. We sought counsel from a respected biblical counselor/doctor, who advised us that medicines were in order. My colleagues concurred. They saw that my condition was not the result of sin that had sent me into a downward spiral, as Job’s comforters had assumed of him, but a matter of response to the pain medication and the impact of what had transpired physically yet was also exacerbated by what was going on with me emotionally. Reluctantly I took the medicine for a six-month period, along with seeking to learn and grow spiritually from the situation. The medicine helped stabilize me so that I could think rationally and apply biblical principles to my situation.”

6 Lessons Learned from the Darkness

  1. Deeper Empathy for those who Battle Depression: “My experience has given me a much deeper empathy and understanding for those who suffer in this way than I ever had before.”
  2. Recovery Is Sometimes Slow and Gradual: “While the physical issues—the back problem and the level of serotonin in the brain—were being addressed through physical therapy, rest, and the antidepressant medications, the issues of the soul were being addressed with continued biblical counseling and pursuing God through His Word, biblically based books, and prayer. Our family was very supportive, as well as our church family, ministering to us with calls, cards, meals, and prayers. My recovery was a gradual process that took place over a period of six grueling months.”
  3. Idols of the Heart—Previously Hidden—Were Exposed: “I came to the realization that desiring comfort and to be in control were things I had idolized and needed to confess as sin. Suffering was part of God’s plan to produce the holiness that He was seeking to work out in my life….”
  4. Growth in Humility and Awe: “I grew in my awe of the unsearchableness of our humanness. It humbled me to know that I wasn’t in control of what was going on in my mind and emotions and that I had to trust in God’s good purposes in them, knowing that He would see my through those issues that were out of my control, and that He would do so partly through a medical means.”
  5. Greater Dependence upon Grace: “I needed to seek only Him and rest in what He has accomplished through His sacrificial death, resurrection, and intercession on my behalf. My entire salvation and sanctification is solely dependent on His grace.”
  6. Joy Comes in the Morning, after Mourning. “What praise I offered to God for His amazing grace when I was finally able to go back to teaching and preaching again! My emotions have returned and I have an irrepressible joy over my Savior and a story that I can’t keep quiet about.”

It is that final sentence from Bob that convinced me that I should write this unplanned sequel to yesterday’s post. May we all be humbled by this transparent testimony of how God graciously restored joy at the end of a deep valley of depression and may we ask the Lord to teach us to be more compassionate toward one another!

[As I said yesterday, when I blog through books, which is often a practice of mine, I do so by my own volition—based upon my own personal growth needs and ministry interests. In the case of this book, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling, I am especially appreciative of my colleagues at the Biblical Counseling Coalition who are responsible for compiling this important collection of essays on theological and methodological issues in biblical counseling today.]

Join the Conversation (Added by the BCC Staff)

What are your thoughts as you reflect on Bob Somerville’s testimony in Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling?

Topics: Depression, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Psychology and Christianity, Sadness, Suffering | Tags: , , , , , ,

The Mind, Body, and Medications

Paul Tautges May 13, 2013
3 Comments

The Mind, Body, and Medications

BCC Staff Note: We describe the BCC’s Grace & Truth blog as “Voices from the Biblical Counseling Community.” The modern biblical counseling movement spans a diverse spectrum of people and organizations committed to a view of people helping summarized by the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement. It is with this diversity in mind that we have run a series of posts addressing the important issue of biblical counseling and mental illness. In addition to today’s post by Pastor Paul Tautges, we’d encourage you to read:

BCC Introductory Note

The following post first appeared at Paul Tautges’ Counseling One Another site under the same title, The Mind, Body, and Medications. The BCC is re-posting it here with Paul’s permission. In this post, Paul interacts with chapter 28, “The Complex Mind/Body Connection” by Laura Hendrickson from the BCC’s recently released Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.

The Complexity of Our Humanity

In my ongoing study of the subject of mental/emotional illness, counseling, and the church; I found a very helpful chapter in the recently released book, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling. The final chapter, “The Complex Mind/Body Connection,” is written by Dr. Laura Hendrickson. As a trained medical doctor, and board-certified psychiatrist, Laura brings insight that is appreciated within the biblical counseling world.

In this chapter, Laura explores the complexity of our humanity and seeks to bring biblically-informed wisdom to bear upon the mind, body, and psychiatric medication. In this post, I will summarize and highlight her main conclusions. For the full benefit you would do well to get yourself a copy of Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.

There Is Mystery in This Body, Which Is Made by God.

Just as Christians have many misconceptions about emotions [the subject of the preceding chapter] so “the body fares little better, perhaps worse, in our mind’s eye.” But it is important to remember that “our emotions and our bodies are God’s idea….The interrelationship between body and soul defies our capacity to fully comprehend. The complexity of the mind-body, soul-brain connection is both majestic and deeply troubling to many.” Hendrickson then refers to the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement, and reflects upon the dozen drafts of the portion that addresses the mind/body connection. This section of the confession closes with the following paragraph:

“We recognize the complexity of the relationship between the body and soul (Genesis 2:7). Because of this, we seek to remain sensitive to physical factors and organic issues that affect people’s lives. In our desire to help people comprehensively, we seek to apply God’s Word to people’s lives amid bodily strengths and weaknesses. We encourage a thorough assessment and sound treatment for any suspected physical problems.”

The Bible Keeps the Soul and Body Together.

“Body and soul are not antithetical. Psalm 63:1 links them inseparably—the soul thirsts and the body longs. In Hebraic thinking, we do not have a body, we are a body; we are animated bodies. The flesh (basar in the Old Testament) is our whole life substance organized in corporeal form—embodied personalities. Body (basar in Hebrew and sarx in Greek) represents humanity in a certain type of relationship to God—one of finitude, contingency, neediness, weakness, frailty, and mortality….We are works of God’s hands, made, shaped, molded, clothed with skin and flesh, and knit together with bones and sinews (Job 10:3-12). We are not to despise our physicality.”

Later, when addressing the intertwined body/soul, Hendrickson writes, “We are ‘psychosomatic wholes’ with the material and immaterial aspects of our lives intricately interwoven. We are one unified being with a spiritual inner person or heart, and a physical outer person or body.”

The Heart Controls the Body…Most of the Time.

“It’s important to note that because the brain is an organ of our body, it is not the responsible source of our thoughts, feelings, and choices. Scripture teaches that these activities originate in our inner person. But since the brain is the ‘master controller’ (the CEO) of our other bodily functions, it makes sense to think of it as a mediator that translates what’s inside of us into physical form.”

However, the Body Can Affect the Heart.

Also, the “Bible teaches that what is going on in our body affects what goes on in our heart. If we’re sleep deprived, sick, in pain, or on medicines that make it harder for us to think clearly, these physical changes will influence our thoughts and emotions. They may even tempt us to make wrong choices.”

A Balanced Way to Think about Chemical Imbalances.

“The thoughts and feelings of our heart change our brain’s chemical balance. The opposite is also true. Medicines that change our brain’s chemical balance can affect the thoughts and feelings of our heart. This view accepts the findings of medical science on the role of the brain, without insisting that our emotional pain comes solely from our body.”

Some May Be Helped by Psychiatric Medication…Some of the Time.

Hendrickson begins the next major section of her chapter with this accurate assessment:

“Addressing the brain/soul connection inevitably leads to the important issue of psychotropic medication. And any discussion of the use of psychiatric medicine prompts strong feelings among God’s people.”

The author then calls believers to a balanced view when she writes:

“I believe we can agree that our bodies play an important role in our emotions without insisting that all painful feelings are due to a disease. I also don’t think that it’s a sin or an admission of weakness to take psychiatric drugs. But taking a medication without considering spiritual issues may leave the most important factor unaddressed. In fact, it’s been my experience, through twenty years of psychiatric and biblical counseling practice, that a medicine-only approach doesn’t resolve emotional pain completely or permanently in most cases.”

As Hendrickson puts it all together, she stresses:

“It is important to realize that every emotion involves a complex interaction between body and soul. For example, the Bible teaches that improving the way our body feels can change our emotions for the better. Medical science confirms the Bible’s teachings….Remember Elijah’s story. Rest and food fortified his body, but they didn’t solve his emotional problems. He wanted to give up because he’d decided that his situation was hopeless and his ministry was a lost cause. Elijah’s hunger and tiredness didn’t do this to him, and food and rest alone couldn’t solve it. It took an encounter with God’s truth to set Elijah’s heart right….In the same way that food and rest revived Elijah, medications may improve the balance of chemicals in our brains. But by themselves they can’t solve complex spiritual problems. We need to hear God speaking truth to our hearts as Elijah did. We also need to actively use God’s Word, as Jesus did, when we are struggling.”

Hendrickson then reminds her readers of Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon, both of whom battled depression and anxiety and times of great weakness throughout their lives.

Comforted by Jesus, the Non-Cookie-Cutter Counselor.

Hendrickson writes:

“I’m comforted to realize that Jesus, in His time on earth, helped different people in different ways,” and then goes on to give a number of examples. Applying these examples, she writes, “So why are we surprised that the Lord doesn’t solve everyone’s painful feelings in the same ways today? We’re told that one of Martin Luther’s faith struggles was settled instantly by reading a single Bible verse. On the other hand, Luther wrote extensively about his lifelong struggle with and against spiritual depression/anxiety. Similarly, in my experience, some counselees grasp right away what God’s Word has to say about their problems and recover their emotional balance quickly. But others, not less godly or committed, may toil slowly in counseling for many months.”

“Some come to me in so deep an emotional hole that it seems best to recommend the physical boost of psychiatric drugs in addition to the ministry of God’s Word to restore them. Others come to me already on medications, having already spent many months in counseling, but still grappling with painful feelings. And finally, some people have diseases that require continued medical treatment, as well as biblical counseling, if they are to remain emotionally stable.”

“Thus, it is dangerous to assume that all emotional struggles can be changed by strictly ‘spiritual means.’ For some, spirituality includes embracing physical weakness. When we ignore the importance of the body, we misunderstand what it means to trust God. It is wrong to place extra burdens on those who suffer emotionally by suggesting that all they need to do is surrender to God to make their struggles go away. It would be equally wrong to suggest that medication is all someone needs….My confidence as I come alongside suffering counselees is this: Jesus, who healed a number of blind men five different ways, still provides what each of us needs to increase our faith and restore us.”

A Biblical Counselor’s Shares His Personal Testimony.

Hendrickson’s chapter ends with a lengthy testimony from Bob Somerville, a biblical counselor and Bible college professor who endured an excruciatingly painful time of deep depression and discovered that God ministered to him through many means, including some he did not expect (you should read it). Hendrickson concludes her chapter with these words:

“Bob’s story illustrates the message of Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling. Understanding people, diagnosing the root causes of problems, and prescribing wise ‘treatment options’ requires robust, relational, comprehensive, and compassionate care grounded in our shared redemptive relationship to Christ.”

[By the way, when I blog through books, which is often a practice of mine, I do so by my own volition, not because I have been asked by any publisher. In the case of this book, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling, I am especially appreciative of my colleagues at the Biblical Counseling Coalition who are responsible for compiling this important collection of essays on theological and methodological issues in biblical counseling today.]

You may also be interested in Laura’s book, co-authored with Elyse Fitzpatrick: Will Medicine Stop the Pain?—Finding God’s Healing for Anxiety, Depression, and Other Challenging Emotions.

Join the Conversation (Added by the BCC Staff)

How would you describe the complex interaction between the mind, body, and medication?

Topics: Biblical Counseling, Medication, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Psychology and Christianity | Tags: , , , , , ,

BCC Weekend Media Resource: Brad Hambrick on Overcoming Sexual Sin

BCC Staff May 11, 2013
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The BCC Weekend Media Resource

BCC Staff Note: During weekends we often highlight one of our free resources. This weekend we highlight a nine-part video series by Brad Hambrick on Overcoming Sexual Sin. Highlighted below is Part 9, however, you can find all nine parts at our BCC Resource page.

False Love

This is the ninth video in a nine part series entitled “False Love: Overcoming Sexual Sin from Pornography to Adultery.” False Love has a complementing seminar entitled “True Betrayal: Overcoming the Betrayal of Your Spouse’s Sexual Sin.” For more information on either seminar, please follow the links provided.

STEP 9
STEWARD all of my life for God’s glory.

To “steward” something means to use it for God’s intended purpose. It is important to remember that what is being stewarded is your life, not merely the experience of overcoming sexual sin. To think otherwise would be to define yourself by your struggle again.

“I use the word recovery less, and the word healing or transformation more. We don’t go backward and recover; rather, we go forward to heal and be transformed… I have come to believe the Twelve Steps do not emphasize enough the radical spiritual transformation that can only be achieved through a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ” (Mark Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction, p. 18).

Sin is a parasite that lives off of stolen resources (time, energy, love, etc…) that were intended for other purposes. As we rid ourselves of this vile intruder, those resources upon which sin once indulged become available for God’s design and our true enjoyment. Ultimately, stewardship is the pinnacle where purpose, worship, and joy meet.

“Sex addicts must develop a vision. A vision is a clear idea of God’s calling, plan, and purpose for one’s life” (Mark Laaser, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction, p. 167).

“The fight of faith against lust is the fight to stay satisfied with God” (John Piper, Future Grace, p. 335). 

Topics: Adultery, Men/Husbands, People in Need of Care, People Who Offer Care, People Who Train Caregivers, Pornography, Sexual Purity, Women/Wives | Tags: , , , ,

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About the BCC

The BCC exists to strengthen churches, para-church organizations, and educational institutions by promoting excellence and unity in biblical counseling as a means to accomplish compassionate outreach and effective discipleship.