5 Things You Will Need to Start a Journey in Counseling
When we finally realize and say to ourselves, “Hey, I think I need counseling,” there are some things that need to be settled in our hearts first! Here is a brief sketch of 5 things to help you be open and prepared for what lies ahead … These will make it easier for you and for your counselor! Let’s dive in:
1. Patience
Patience is a major, MAJOR factor for progression in counseling. First, you need to be patient in the process. Because it is a process! A process that we need to stay committed to. Digging through the soul, and working through difficult feelings, relationships, situations, and whatever else that comes up, is a lot of hard work. And it is OK that it is … because trying to rush ahead and get to the other side isn’t going to serve you well… our souls do not like to be rushed! Thankfully, the Lord is gracious and knows this and will help you find rest along the journey. We also really need to be patient with ourselves. Unlocking the secrets of our souls and letting the Holy Spirit have his way in you can feel hard and even frightening at times. The Lord knows this about you as well … and He is always gentle, so let’s follow His lead and be gentle with ourselves. When patience is welcomed … we will see more progress than we thought possible… and this will encourage us to keep pressing ahead and seeking more healing from the Lord. Stay committed!
2. Surrender
You must be surrendered to the Lord for counseling to be truly beneficial to your heart, mind, soul and body. There is a falling back into His arms that is necessary, that allows us to experience His healing touch. Perhaps you don’t really rest in that truth … but perhaps too, the Lord is calling you into that now. HE IS TRUSTWORTHY. The Creator God of the universe, sees, knows, and loves you beyond your comprehension and imagination. And in His strong arms is the place where true rest is found. Let Him carry you and show you just what it looks like to let go and trust that His goodness and love can indeed change your very make-up.
3. Confidence
Confidence comes after the letting go, the surrender. It comes when we begin to see God at work within our heart. We get a taste, a glimpse of change, and then our trust grows, and we surrender even more, and then more and more begins to change! This cycle of God’s healing, and our surrender, helps us press into the even deeper places within that God wants to get a hold of and heal. But how do we start with confidence, when we haven’t seen this cycle unfold yet? We need to take the Lord at His Word. There are countless verses that declare God’s goodness, love, and desire to heal you all over scripture. Grab one and claim it! Not because your words have power, but because HIS DOES!
Here is a great one to start with - Isaiah 61: 1-2 (Jesus declared this about himself in Luke 4):
The Spirit of the Lord, the Eternal, is on me.
The Lord has appointed me for a special purpose.
He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to repair broken hearts,
And to declare to those who are held captive and bound in prison,
“Be free from your imprisonment!”
He has sent me to announce the year of jubilee,
the season of the Eternal’s favor:
for our enemies it will be a day of God’s wrath;
For those who mourn it will be a time of comfort.
4. Obedience
This is not obedience to your counselor per se (though at times that is necessary and helpful!), but obedience to the Lord! The Lord may ask you to do something that sounds crazy to you, or weird, or doesn’t seem like it will be helpful. Try it, do it anyway. Stepping out and breaking out of your usual way of doing things is part of the process of learning new ways of looking at and dealing with what life throws at you. Let’s face it, your old ways of dealing with things is part of what brought you to counseling… so trying new things just might be part of the way that God is opening you to healing change. Learning how to regularly confess, repent, pray, and move into new action are all a part of the process. So be open, and be ready to step out in obedience when God is speaking!
5. The Holy Spirit
The last thing is the MOST IMPORTANT. Welcome The Holy Spirit in your life, and find a counselor who is actively led by The Holy Spirit. Only He can lead you into all truth. He will point you to Jesus - always, always, always. You must welcome Him into the process, seek His wisdom, respond to His movements and voice. He is our main sanctifier here on Earth. Jesus even said in John 16 that it is better that He leave so that He could send us The Helper. We need to learn how to rely on Him and respond to His voice. He will literally make all the difference. His fire will burn off our ugly parts, His living streams of water will refresh and cleanse you, His wind will direct you, the wine of His presence will encourage you with joy. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you and fill you up to overflowing with His power and presence … that is what He is here to do! So welcome Him into your life and see where He wants to take you!
Friends, if you press into each of these in prayer before starting your counseling journey, the Lord will honor your heart’s desire to change! Seek His face, ask Him for courage, and dive in! He will show up and show you just how much He wants to heal you!