Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

WE ALL DO

 I have heard it said, “Every counselor needs a counselor.”  I believe that is true.  I am in my 40^thyear of ministry.  In many of those years I did not have anyone I could honestly confide in when I needed to talk.  I didn’t have a person in my life I felt comfortable enough to unload my burdens. I have had that in recent years, and let me tell you, it makes all the difference.

We need each other.  But we don’t just need any “each other.”  We need people we can trust.  We need people who know us and still love us.  We need guidance when we think we know the right course.  We need someone to take us aside and whisper, “Brother, you are wrong.”

TEACHING MOMENT

 Children need counselors too.  I am not talking about a certified mental health professional, although that may be necessary sometime.  I am talking about a parent to whom they can confide without judgment.  A parent to whom they can spill their deepest failures.  A parent who will walk with them through the darkest days of their lives.

As children get older they will make some decisions they regret.  If they can’t come to you, who will they go to? They may fall into the arms of a stranger who has no good motive.  They may turn to drugs or alcohol.  They may just turn away.  Be their go to person.  Let them know you are there, no matter what.

Let me ask you, “Who do you turn to?”  “Well, I turn to Jesus.”  Yes, that is good.  He is always there.  But He also puts people in your life to “do life with.” Don’t ignore the importance of that.  We need help. Accept it.

Thank You, Lord, for sending people in my life to whom I can divulge my deepest secrets.  Thank You for people with whom I can cry, laugh, mourn and celebrate. But thank You most of all for sending me the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ.