Qualified Counselors

Studies have shown that Christian counselors are no more effective than non-Christian counselors. Why? Perhaps it’s because they use the same counseling methods.
There is a better way.
The interesting thing about that study is the discovery of what really does work. It works better than professional counseling. What is that? Having Christian friends who care. They don’t follow the counseling rules, because they don’t even know them. All they know is Jesus, and that makes all the difference.
Who is qualified for such counseling?
Anybody who really knows Jesus.
Some people qualify themselves as Christians by wearing gold crosses around their necks. That doesn’t mean they know Jesus, and if they don’t, then they are part of the blind company who will lead the blind into the ditch. They aren’t qualified counselors.
Since God is not willing that any should perish, he is more than just longsuffering.
The Bible says God’s foreknowledge allows him to order (predestine) people’s steps by intervening with mentors and circumstances that will lead them to the choice he knows they will make. But if we are unwilling to share our testimonies of how Jesus changed our lives, then God will use someone else.
We need to be clear on what it means to serve God.
In the world, we must produce results, or we think we’ve failed. Nobody wants to fail, so we’re tempted not to try at all. But with God, we are required only to give our best effort. Remember the servants who were given talents. One servant was condemned. Why? Not because he had failed to produce results. He was condemned because he didn’t use his talent. Using our talents guarantees results, because God will take care of the results.
We make a bad mistake if we expect to see results.
We shouldn’t measure our mentoring effectiveness by expecting to see a great harvest. That’s not likely to happen—at least not frequently.
Someone cultivates, others plant seeds, and some do the irrigation. Only a few get to be the harvesters, and they are the ones who didn’t do much of the work. So you see, what matters is only our effort that fulfills the part that God is calling us to do.
Don’t be shy in sharing your stories how Christ has changed your lives, for your reward will be greater than anything you can imagine. — Hebrews 10:35