Counselor Ministry

 

    A lay counselor is a person that helps guide people toward a healthy life style and thought process through encouragement and scripture.  Lay counseling is amazing because it is where people help other people.  The Lay counselor may have training, but rarely have a degree in Counseling.  That means anyone can be a lay counselor.  All you have to do is show the love of Jesus in your life to people in need.  They walk through life helping people for a period of time.

    If you follow Jesus' example then you live a life that does not go astray and you help other people from being led astray.  Jesus was killed for loving people and serving them.  Most of us will not end up being martyrs, but that does not mean that this world is not hard on a true follower of Christ.  Even in the church you will find people that judge and persecute when you are supposed to be on the same team.  

    It takes genuine and pure love to navigate in wisdom to face the inevitable persecution for being a follower of Jesus.  We all have been warned about the cost of following Jesus.  You have been challenged to face persecution and prove yourself true.  You have Jesus' teaching.  God's Authority given to proclaim the word and do His work.  You have the Holy Spirit to guide you.  What excuse do you have not to follow Jesus?

    The Holy Spirit is the counselor.  He is the original unit of the triad God unity that leads a ministry of counseling.  You do not want to offend him because he guides you to the truth.  He lives within your soul to convict you, so that you are not led astray.  His conviction along with Jesus' life condemned Satan once and for all.  Satan and the world may think they are victorious now, but it will be short lived.  

    Jesus talked about all of this, but his disciples did not understand.  They didn't have context yet.  They couldn't imagine a world where Jesus would not be with them.  It was just too much.  Once they understood and once we understand, then no one can take our joy from us.  Our life has more substance to it.  

    Jesus was trying to comfort them while he could because he knew that they would scatter very soon.  There was no need to tell them before this point because he was with them, but that was changing that night.  They couldn't imagine it, but he knew the truth.  Jesus was giving peace to the world.  It is a world full of trouble and strife, but he overcame all that and showed us how we can too.  

    He never left his disciples alone and he has never left us alone.  The counselor ministry is basically loving each other like Jesus loves us.  It is being there for each other.  It is not letting anyone be alone in this world.  This type of love helps heal soul wounds and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

John 16