I caught you with that line, didn’t I? It would get my attention in a heartbeat. I am always looking to improve and expand my counseling accuracy, sharpen my counseling tools, and at the same time, keep up on the new resources coming at me like a very fast assembly line of goodies (think Lucy and Ethel with their chocolates!).
There is no doubt that rich, Christ-saturated books, curricula, and other media are within our reach. That is one of the reasons we offer a robust list of suggested resources on our website. With so much abundant content to help with, what are the best resources? And should we use the same resources across the board when each person we care for has a uniqueness to their reproductive grief and losses?
Honestly, it’s impossible. I’ve tried. And we’ve heard from many helpers who have tried, too. But there is good news: every one of us has the one resource outshining them all. Yes, the very Word of God. God Himself declares its authority and sufficiency, giving us all we need for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
To be honest, one of the greatest challenges we face is knowing how to help an unbeliever who doesn’t want faith-based care. I want to encourage you here, in every session, you are facing either evangelism or discipleship. The Wonderful Counselor himself teaches us the best counseling process. Ask more questions than give answers. Jesus asked over 300 questions during His three-year ministry. And I imagine He asked many more questions that were not recorded in Scripture! But the purpose of His questions offers a gold mine of resources. Jesus challenged assumptions and led those he ministered to personal reflection.
Believer or not, if we listen well, we can hear every person’s plea for truth, meaning, and purpose in their suffering. With wisdom and discernment, we can identify their assumptions, expectations, and often, agendas. It is then that we engage them to consider these things differently, through a lens that embraces hope and healing.
And for us, the best way to do this is to be saturated and surrendered in this best resource ourselves. Joshua 1:8-9 lays out the beautiful promise of how our time in God’s Word gives us success, strength, and courage. So utilize the wonderful resources God has given us through His saints, and remain grounded in Scripture, where the Helper, the Holy Spirit, emboldens you to be His instrument, a true gift to our hurting world.
– Tanya Flores
*Blog post image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2x8N4DjxnE.