Imagine your friend coming over to tell you of the trial that his or her marriage has become. Bam, instantly you become a counselor. Your manner of listening, attempting to understand, advising, and encouraging your friend are now given a test drive. But will your counselmobile actually run? Will it do what God has placed you in that moment, in that situation to do?
Can we know what God wants to accomplish in every counseling situation that might arise in your life? Are there universal principles that would apply to any friend, any crisis, or any issue?
I'd suggest that there are at least two goals that every peer counselor hold up as part of the evaluation of his counsel.
The first is to demonstrate in your listening and in your effort to understand that God is right there with the person in his or her trial. God has compassion on him. God deeply loves her. And you are there to flesh out His love.
The second is to encourage your friend toward love and good works. Yes, in their trial, they often would prefer hatred and/or evil works, but your job is to call them back to that calling God has placed on their lives.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
True or False: If you love me, you will not offend me?
If there were a perfect lover, that is one who loved perfectly, then we could test this question by seeing if he ever offended those he loved. hmm, does such a lover exist anywhere?
If you can think of someone, then test this hypothesis:
Someone who truly loves another will not offend him in any way, whether by speech, or by action.
Test it by looking at his beloveds to see if any were ever offended.
Oh, and if you subtly define your perfect lover as one who doesn't offend, then you mess up the experiment by creating a circular system.
If there were a perfect lover, that is one who loved perfectly, then we could test this question by seeing if he ever offended those he loved. hmm, does such a lover exist anywhere?
If you can think of someone, then test this hypothesis:
Someone who truly loves another will not offend him in any way, whether by speech, or by action.
Test it by looking at his beloveds to see if any were ever offended.
Oh, and if you subtly define your perfect lover as one who doesn't offend, then you mess up the experiment by creating a circular system.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The foundation of this Blog
Terrifying: Highly frightening, creating great fear, extremely scary
Grace: the gift given without regard to merit or performance, but given in proportion to humility
As God reveals Himself to each of us, we learn more about His character, His commitiment to us, and His calling for us. As each of these "C's" is unveiled, we see a larger and larger obligation on our shoulders to receive fully all that He has offered. Or we see a larger and larger threat to our very existance as independent, idiosyncratic, sole kings of our own little world.
If obligation, we pursue that unveiling. If threat, we run.
It is God's amazing essence to be at once amazing love and consuming fire.
I actually pursue at times, and run at other times. Lord, help me to quit running!!
Grace: the gift given without regard to merit or performance, but given in proportion to humility
As God reveals Himself to each of us, we learn more about His character, His commitiment to us, and His calling for us. As each of these "C's" is unveiled, we see a larger and larger obligation on our shoulders to receive fully all that He has offered. Or we see a larger and larger threat to our very existance as independent, idiosyncratic, sole kings of our own little world.
If obligation, we pursue that unveiling. If threat, we run.
It is God's amazing essence to be at once amazing love and consuming fire.
I actually pursue at times, and run at other times. Lord, help me to quit running!!
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