Counseling in 4D
COUNSELING IN 4D
Helping Others Help Themselves
The word counsel in its verb and noun forms is found 180 times in 32 books of the Bible. It takes into account both the 3D and 4D perspectives. The book of Job is a commentary on the shortcomings of subjective 3D counseling. For example, note Job's comment to his so- called “friends:”
Miserable comforters are you all!
–Job 16:1b–
Later in the book he testified regarding his own counseling acumen:
Unto me men gave ear, and waited and kept silent for my counsel.
–Job 29:21–
According to the Bible each of us has a body, a soul and a spirit. The secular world discounts the spiritual, maintaining that our makeup consists only of the physical and mental capacities. However, the Holy Scriptures clearly affirm our tripartite nature.
... may your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
–I Thessalonians 5:23b–
If you visit your doctor regarding a physical condition he or she may refer you to a specialist. With 4D counseling this is consistently done. The referral is always made to an all-wise specialist.
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the mighty God, the Prince of Peace.
–Isaiah 9:6b–
The reference is obviously to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Counselor with perfect insight, all powerful, affording us peace with God and the peace of God!
Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
–Romans 5:1–
And the peace of God which passes all understanding
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:7–
While still on earth, and prior to returning to his Father, Jesus gave his promise of another Counselor:
And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth.
–John 14:16,17a–
The word comforter in the above verse is translated counselor in the NIV and RSV Bibles. A more literal translation is helper (NASB & NKJV). The same Greek word is translated advocate in I John 2:1. Counselor is in keeping with the quotation from Isaiah 9:6 above.
This means we have dual counselors, one before the Father in heaven (I John 2:2), the other dwelling in us and among us here on earth. How marvelous is the abundant provision of our God! With such majestic arrangement we really don’t need another counselor! Yet, God has graciously arranged that we be his vehicles in the process of helping others who lack understanding.
People come to us with felt needs. Felt needs are a message from God calling attention to a real need. When someone is in trauma the immediate concern is to stabilize the individual. We endeavor to calm the person’s spirit, speaking words of comfort and assurance while we seek to relieve his or her situation. Similarly, in the counseling role we minister to one’s spirit from the outset in three distinct ways.
THE ASSURANCE FACTOR
According to the Bible everybody’s first and foremost real need is an assurance of salvation. If the person is not saved it is our privilege to point them to the most wonderful news they will ever hear. It is the gospel which means “good news” about Jesus Christ personally undertaking for our most critical need. He alone lived the perfect life acceptable to God and then he shed his blood to pay for all our sins past, present and future at Calvary. If we land in hell it will be, not because of our sins, but due to our failure to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the full price for all our sins, past present and future. As someone has said, It is no longer the SIN question but the SON question.
Neither is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name under heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved.
–Acts 4:12–
A unique feature of the Bible is the Author’s personal presence each time it is read. Remember also that the Scriptures reach down to us from God above via the vertical fourth dimension. Therefore, rather than you reading or quoting the Scripture in horizontal 3D fashion, have the counselee read it aloud. This allows the Holy Spirit to speak directly in the 4D vertical frame of reference to the individual’s heart while you silently pray to the Father above. I truly believe nothing is more powerful!
For the word of God is living and powerful
and sharper than any double-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit
and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
–Hebrews 4:12–
Another procedure which may prove equally effective in certain situations is turning to the passage in your Bible and having the counselee repeat after you as you read phrase by phrase.
The foremost issue for stability in a time of crisis is one’s assurance of salvation. Any of us can have moments of doubt in the midst of trauma. Even if we do not doubt our salvation we may question the Lord’s power or willingness to undertake. It behooves us to remember Christ’s redemptive work at Calvary is the basis of all we receive from God:
He who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
–Romans 8:32–
(Reading the remainder of the chapter should convince us we have no problems!)
THE APPRECIATION FACTOR
Appreciation is recognition of worth. Our counselee must recognize that God ascribes worth to whatever his or her situation may be:
And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called ones
according to his purpose.
–Romans 8:28
None of us, even as Christians, momentarily believes what this verse declares when something goes wrong. We must deliberately train ourselves to respond instead of react when we encounter an adverse situation. There are two ways we can ask the question, Why me? Either it will be in a spirit of doubt and fear or of faith and awe!
After dealing with assurance we ask the counselee, Have you ever thanked the Lord for the circumstance/situation/experience in which you find yourself? (Avoid using the word “problem” because of its negative connotation). Most people will admit the thought had never occurred to them. Furthermore, Why should anybody be expected to do that! Let it be known, of course, it is not you. God commands it! Keep the focus on him. Keep it in the fourth dimension! Open your Bible to I Thessalonians 5:18 and ask the counselee to read the verse aloud, slowly, deliberately, repeatedly, or however:
In everything give thanks.
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
The rationale has been well articulated by Martin Luther:
The shortest, surest way to all happiness is this:
Make it a rule to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you, for it is certain that, whatever seeming calamity comes to you, if you thank and praise God for it you turn it into a blessing. Could you therefore work miracles you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it needs not a word spoken and turns all it touches into happiness!
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.
–Hebrews 13:15–
We are also forewarned of the serious results of being unthankful:
...when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations
and their foolish heart was darkened.
–Romans 1:21–
THE ADAPTATION FACTOR
Finally, we come to the counselee’s purpose for the interview. We continue in the vertical frame of reference. Rather than probe we gently prod! We encourage the person to do his or her own probing before God. This is powerful because, before God, it is a meeting of hearts rather than a meeting of minds.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all men liberally
and upbraids not, and it shall be given him.
–James 1:5–
Call upon me and I will answer you and show you
great and mighty things which you know not.
–Jeremiah 33:3–
Ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find;
knock and it shall be opened unto you.
–Matthew 7:7–
This is not meant to imply we show a lack of concern for a person’s circumstance. Rather, we are sharing our conviction that there is a Counselor far wiser than we who always has the answer. In fact, he is the answer! Furthermore, we are grateful that most practitioners are always open to referring us to a professional with more expertise.
Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
–Hebrews 4:16–
ACCOUNTABILITY
Some accountability should be established to preserve the value of the session . If the party has not been in the habit of praying or reading the Bible regularly some goals should be set with the understanding that reporting or a checkup will be forthcoming. A minimum of twenty minutes a day with an aim toward spending seven hours per week to include Bible study time will reap rich rewards. A person who cannot set aside that much time is simply too busy. Earnest prayer and commitment can straighten that out!
No Christian can experience victory apart from quality time in God’s Word and in personal prayer. Memorization of Scripture is also crucial. Jesus’ words are as appropriate today as they were when he answered Satan during his temptation. He quoted from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 8:3):
Man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
–Matthew 4:4 –
Most likely, the person who comes to you for help has been lax in his or her devotional life. The psalmist wrote:
Your Word have I hidden in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
–Psalm 119:11–
Martin Luther commented,
This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.
D.L. Moody declared,
I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.
If one neglects his Bible, he may pray and ask him to use him in his work,
but God cannot, for there is not much for the Holy Spirit to work upon.
Were half the breath that’s vainly spent
To heaven in supplication sent,
Our cheerful song would oftener be:
Hear what the Lord hath done for me!
–Charles Spurgeon
Clyde W. Brogan. Publication Rights Reserved (See Home Page Footnote)
