What Christian Marriage Counseling
Can Do For You
If your marriage is running rough, you can look for Christian marriage counseling help or secular counseling. What are the benefits of finding a competent Christian marriage counselor compared to the alternatives?
If your automobile was running the same way, and neither finances nor proximity was a concern, would you take your vehicle to a garage on the corner or a dealership run by the car’s manufacturer? You would probably choose the latter because you expect the expertise to be greater. Representatives of the car’s maker should be in the best position to diagnose and fix it.
Your new car came with an owner’s manual where specific components of your vehicle are explained in detail. If you read it and follow the instructions, your car should run better.
God created us and, fortunately, He’s given us an owner’s manual so we are not lost. That manual is the Bible. It has useful information on a variety of topics that we need to know about so that every aspect of our life can run better.
Marriage was God’s idea. In the Garden of Eden, He determined it was not good for man to be alone and created Eve as his helpmate. They had struggles right away and cast the die for marriage challenges for generations to come. God knew how things were going to unfold and there are many biblical passages that deal explicitly with marriage.
A competent Christian marriage counselor can help you discover, understand and implement the strategies laid out. He or she can also help you even if your spouse is not a willing participant in the discussion! In our center, our first appointment always involves an interview where we assess the current situation and determine where each person is spiritually. A reasonable ministry path can be developed as answers are gained.
Christian Marriage Counseling Uses The Owners Manual
What if you are not a religious person? Can a Christian marriage counselor still help you? The answer is yes because biblical principles, properly applied, work for everyone! The law of gravity works universally. There are biblical principles that will bear good fruit as they are applied faithfully regardless of a person’s beliefs or spiritual condition. Learning how to deal with conflict, set proper boundaries, serve one another and walk in forgiveness are just a few of the topics covered.
Do your marriage issues stem primarily from personal strongholds such as anger, depression, lust or pornography working in one of you. If so, these can be dealt with separately using the word and power of God as appropriate.
Secular marriage counseling, at its best, incorporates biblical truths into a humanist process so the results can be uneven. Not all Christian counselors use the same approaches and tools but if your marriage is not hitting on all cylinders, doesn’t it make sense to try the manufacturer’s representative first?