Those Who are Sick

- Admit you are unwell
The phenomenon of denial is as old as time itself. We refuse to see the evidence that we are leprous. The spiritual malady of sin has infected and affected every part of our lives. We need urgent care for our souls. “God be merciful to me a sinner” is a great place to start your spiritual check-up.
- Accept the diagnosis
Did you know that “thousands die from medical errors yearly” according to CBC journalist Lynn Desjardins. Lynn’s article reveals that “in Canada, medical errors account for 28,000 deaths yearly. Errors are said to be the third leading cause of death in Canada after cancer and heart disease, and every minute and 18 seconds someone is injured from unintended harm.”
But God gets it right in every case. The Bible accurately diagnoses our dreaded condition in the book of Romans, chapter three: “As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Our condition is bleak, hopeless in fact, without the healing remedy of Jesus Christ.
- Receive His cure
My Biblical Counseling Model
One of the great privileges of being a pastor is that people will often ask me to give them “counsel” on any given number of challenges that they face. I always clarify that request by reminding people that I am not a psychologist. I’m a pastor, a theologian. I’m a “shepherd” in the journey of life. I consider my place to be pastoral, spiritual and Biblical. So, my insights and advice will be based on the teaching of the Bible.
As a result, I have developed 6 targets in the Biblical counseling model that I follow.
- Truth
In any given struggle that you face, you have to seek truth as the light that will bring clarity to your mind. Of course, as a Christian, we believe that absolute truth exists, and God wants us to know it in order to be free. Jesus prayed in John 17: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” The truth can set your free!
- Trust
One of the major contributors to the healing process is the trust that must be gained in order to be heard. Trust between the counselor and counselee is a vital step in leading people to the healing of their souls. As I was taught in the days of my youth, “trust must be earned.” In order for another person to be vulnerable about the pain they are experiencing in their lives, they must believe that you are a trustworthy person. Trust creates safety.
- Talk
There is healing in hearing the truth. Talking involves verbalizing your thoughts and feelings as a means of bringing clarity to your own understanding. Talking with another person that you trust brings healing and freedom. My experience is that some people get trapped in a memory and talking about it will open the door to the mind in the presence of another human being.
- Tears
Learning to feel is a part of learning to heal. Truth and talk are meant to connect your head and your heart. Simply knowing something as a fact will not set you free. Knowledge does not bring power if it is divorced from your feelings. The process of growing as a human being involves learning to ask yourself two important questions: What are you thinking about? And what do you feel? The mind cannot being fully healed until the heart experiences the feelings that are present.
- Time
Some wounds need lots of time to heal. People want instant healing but that is seldom possible. Healing of the soul is “organic”, i.e. it’s a process that takes time like a plant being exposed to the elements of sunshine, water, and TIME. Real growth in your life can’t be forced. Time is in fact “a great healer” when combined with the right elements in relationship with others.
- Tenderness
Compassion from another human being has great power to heal the soul. Scars that have formed can be healed by a tender-hearted counselor. Listening with compassion is vital to helping others heal. Tenderness is the healing touch that many long to experience in their hearts. Kindness draws out the poison of an abrupt and harsh world.
All these traits and more are bound up in Jesus our Lord who is described by Isaiah as the “wonderful counselor, the mighty God and the father of eternity.” He wants to heal your soul. He can heal your soul. Make an appointment with Him ASAP!
Waiting with you,