As Christians, we’re not promised that we will be free from problems. In fact, James tells us, “…count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds….” (James 1:2 ESV). Because we live in a culture counter to God’s Word, much of the support and influence in our lives come from sources that do not align with God’s Word. When we try to solve our problems based on the world’s solutio
ns, we don’t receive lasting relief. So, if I’m a Christian, why am I still struggling—maybe with the same problem—and how do I get relief? That’s where biblical counseling may be able to offer hope and help. As a biblical counselor, we believe the Bible is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). Doesn’t biblical counseling sound like a good place to develop tools to learn how to deal with anxiety, depression, anger, relationship issues—trials of various kinds? What does a biblical counseling session look like? First of all, it’s confidential, and lasts about 50 minutes. We meet weekly one-on-one for a period of several weeks or several months. We spend time discussing your situation and we talk about how we can use the Bible to renew our thinking and learning; “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:23-24 ESV). Basically, biblical counseling is learning how to apply God’s Word to the situations in our lives to enable us to become more like Christ.
