What's in a name? (#8)

​Have you ever gone to someone for counsel? Advice? Direction? Most of us have. Have you ever wondered what the criteria was for going to that particular person? Was it their expertise? Their friendship? That they would agree with you? Sympathize with you?
If you’ve ever gone to a professional therapist, I could ask the same questions. What made you pick them? Was it how they looked? That they really “got you”? Maybe they were the cheapest? Perhaps someone recommended them to you?
We don’t always pick the best people to be our counselors, either because of our own hang-ups or because of the problems with the counselor. One of the names for Jesus that I looked at recently talks of him being the best one to turn to when we need help.

COUNSELOR: In a famous bible verse from the book of Isaiah, Jesus is called the “Wonderful Counselor.” (Is 9:6) It got me thinking – what makes a good counselor in general and what makes Jesus a wonderful counselor? There might be more, but a good counselor does several things.

1. They listen well. They strive to understand. They ask questions. They are engaged with you. A good counselor makes you feel like you are cared for and that you matter. They are genuinely interested in you, the problems you are facing and want to help you get to a better place in your life.
2. They help you gain perspective. The best counselors have this knack of asking questions, of bringing a new perspective, or just looking at your problems from a different angle. They ask questions like “Have you ever considered . . .?” or “What about . . .?” Because they are not personally affected by your personal crisis, they can see the larger picture and see blind spots, that in the midst of problems, we simply cannot see.
3. They tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. Good counselors want you to return to emotional and mental health. They are not content to let you wallow in your problems. They want you to express and unpack them but at some point, they are going to challenge you. They will give you homework or ask you to think or try something different. At one point in my life when I was visiting a counselor, he listened to some past struggles and then gave me an assignment to write a letter that forced me to really dig into what I felt and express myself. I was not to send the letter, but it forced me to see things I needed to see.

Jesus is the wonderful counselor. He listens and he cares more deeply about my life than anyone else. He sees the bigger picture of my life and can look into my past and future and know what is best for me. He is calm and helps me unpack my problems. He prompts with gentle questions that seem to go right to the heart of the matter. He leads me to see myself in new and better ways. He never belittles or criticizes but is never afraid to cut incisively through all my self-delusion to point out the center of my problems and what I need to change in my thinking, beliefs or behavior. Because he understands my heart, my motivation and my needs better than any friend or earthly counselor, he utterly reliable and worthy of my trust.
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As you go through this life, make regular appointments with your heavenly counselor. Tell him your stuff. Listen to his questions. Follow his guidance. You will find that as he guides your life that he truly is the wonder counselor.