The ultimate goal of biblical counseling is tobring about heart change so that we livefruitfully for Jesus Christ and God is glorified. The heart is one’s inner self. It includes our thoughts, motives, attitudes, and will.
But sometimes we are willing to settle for pain relief, right?
It’s better than relief.
Often people who seek counseling, biblical or secular, just want a better life, perhaps a less painful life. But “pain relief” falls short in the end.
A Christian couple I’ll call Bob and Katie sought counseling for their teen daughter’s angry outbursts. In a few sessions, it became clear that the primary underlying counseling issue was Bob’s drinking and his disconnection from the family. The girl’s anger was, in part, directed toward the dad’s choosing alcohol over a loving relationship with her and the family.
Yes, ditching the booze and choosing to love God above all might be excruciatingly difficult for Bob, who confesses Christ. But teaching the wife and daughter how to get along with a detached and delinquent dad wouldn’t truly help anyone. He needs lasting change and so do they.
It aims for life transformation.
Biblical counseling aims for lasting heart change.Its goal of heart change for life transformation means living for God, not self. FirstTimothy 1:5 says:
But the goal of our instruction is lovefrom a pure heart and agood conscience and a sincerefaith.
The goal of instruction in biblical counseling is love. Many verses in the Bible emphasize that people who love God obey his commands.
Obedience in a Christian is not a “have-to”; it is a “want-to.”
Godgives us everything we need to bring about change and experience the abundant life he promises in John 10:10.Yes, making this change requires submitting to God’s plan for your life. It takes your cooperation as God guides you to the ultimate goal of biblical counseling.
3 Essentials of Heart Change
Expect your biblical counselor to listen to your story, pray with you and for you, and help you move forward. As you move forward you’ll learn God’s instructions that help you live successfully (or “victoriously,” in biblical terminology) for your good and his glory. Here are three of these essential.
1. Confess and repent. These go together like peanut butter and jelly. Whenever your thoughts, emotions, and actions are against God’s command to love him and love your neighbor, you agree with God (i.e., confess) that you messed up, confessing to him in prayer and to the wronged persons, and you repent (i.e., commit to turn away from sin and turn to God).
2. Renew your mind. As you cooperate with God, you’ll begin choosing your thoughts and learn to keep every thought captive.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
This is a battle fought in the mind, and it is a war. Your old sin nature battles with your new spiritual nature. See Galatians 5:17.
3. Break ungodly habits. A comforting verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13:
But remember that the temptations that come into your life and no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
As you embrace the ultimate goal in biblical counseling, you will see improvement. Change takes time. Remain hopeful. God never wastes anything, not even our failures. Through the cross, Jesus has already won the war for you.
So what now?
Friend, are you considering biblical counseling? Please poke around my site. I have nearly 1,000 articles and other resources for you to read and listen to. If you’d like to make an appointment for Counseling via Video and Live Chat,please contact me. You may also ask for a free, 15-minute phone consult to help you decide. Ask for it here.
Counseling hearts to hope,
