In 2007 I used to be completed my biblical counseling research at CCEF in Philadelphia and anticipated heading again abroad. I had returned from Romania in 1996 to attend seminary and served as my church’s Missionary Equipping and Care Coordinator; I used to be able to go once more! I eagerly awaited the Lord’s route, exploring a number of ministry prospects in varied elements of the world.
None of these explorations led anyplace, however one door remained open and alluring: to serve with Harvest USA as their Director of Ladies’s Ministry. Fairly actually, I used to be shocked, barely scared, and undoubtedly intimidated. I initially cried out to God, “A sexuality-focused ministry?! Actually Lord? I imply, I’m able to go abroad! Ship me out to the nations…why would You retain me in the USA to deal with Christians certain up in sexual sin after I’m desperate to have interaction the nice fee the place the gospel has barely been taught?!”
My lament was earnest but tainted with satisfaction and self-righteousness. In some way, I’d believed the lie, not that cross-cultural ministry was extra important, however that I knew higher than God probably the most missional and strategic method to make investments my life. In time, and with God’s persistence, my coronary heart had peace and expectancy once more; I waited on Him. Trusted associates and leaders gave encompass sound affirmation that this place was an excellent match for my items and sense of calling. Nonetheless, I used to be nonetheless upset to not head again into cross-cultural ministry.
Discipling the Nations by way of Your Counseling Workplace
I jumped into my discipleship-counseling ministry, which targeted on ladies needing assist with sexual integrity and wives going through sexual infidelity due to husbands’ selections. One after the other, hurting ladies got here, together with various ministry leaders, missionaries, and wives of males who had been leaders. Then, sooner or later, I simply obtained it; all of it made nice fee sense as I noticed, sadly and soberly, what number of of God’s folks had been stumbling of their “religion race” because of sexual and relational sins. I noticed with my very own eyes the sober ripple influence of enslaving sin: many Christians turned inward fairly than outward. Most of us know that after we’re certain up in a sin wrestle, our love for the Lord erodes; our lives develop into divided and distracted from loving different folks, from wanting to be the perfume of Christ to the hurting, misplaced world round us.
God stirred the fireplace for the worldwide reason behind Christ as I used to be amazed in any respect the methods He allowed me to attach with many countries by way of the ladies I discipled, taught, and journeyed with towards heart-healing, repentance, and renewed vigor for partaking God’s functions for his or her lives. He confirmed me how faithfulness to Him “right here” led to a missional influence on the world, as believers had been let out to like and serve Jesus.
Bear in mind the Finish of God’s Story as You Counsel At the moment
John Piper famously mentioned, “Missions exists as a result of worship doesn’t.”[1] Would possibly we additionally say that biblical counseling exists as a result of we aren’t but seated at the marriage feast of the Lamb, facet by facet with disciples from all of the nations, tribes, peoples, and languages, who’ve been let out from ache, sin, and the brokenness of this life?
Counselor, be refreshed and motivated with the gorgeous name to counsel hurting folks in mild of this wonderful invitation from Jesus to make disciples of all of the nations! Because of this proper out of your workplace or digital account, you have got the flexibility to pay attention, consolation, right, and encourage folks in order that they’ll, sure, develop into wholeness, repentance, and non secular maturity, but additionally to completely have interaction the “…good works ready prematurely” (see Eph. 2:10) for them.
The lady caught in an affair with the pastor. The worship chief hooked on gaming and pornography. The school scholar on the fence along with her determination relating to gender transition surgical procedure. The missionary compelled to depart the sphere because of abuse of energy with these beneath his management. The indignant mother or father who can not deliver their feelings beneath management. God could use you to be a device in His hand to blow up grace and transformation alive on this individual and to ship them out to “share it ahead” in order that others could know the gorgeous mission of our Savior after which share it ahead themselves. Paul’s cost to Timothy to entrust to others what he had entrusted to him is one more approach for us to counsel with a missional posture of coronary heart (see 2 Tim. 2:2).
One of many many facets of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, which I recognize deeply, is their international focus. Click on the “menu” tab on the prime proper of this web page and search for “International BC Websites”; a number of nations are represented as God is elevating up disciple-makers by way of biblical counseling throughout the globe. Received’t it’s nice to sit down collectively and feast as we have a good time and worship Jesus?
Questions for Reflection
- How may an understanding of Christ’s fee to make disciples of all of the nations influence your native counseling ministry?
- Does your church have missionaries who want counseling but can’t afford it? How may you/your church “tithe” counseling hours to learn these international employees?
[1] John Piper, “Missions Exists As a result of Worship Doesn’t,” Wanting God, October 27, 2012, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/missions-exists-because-worship-doesnt-a-bethlehem-legacy-inherited-and-bequeathed.
