Thanks be to Christ that he shall deliver us from all that ails us, sin and all. And thanks for his all-sufficient Word that speaks to every area of life, providing all we need for life and godliness. And secondly, I would say “stay tuned” for future installments as I seek to address these main problem issues faced in the church, and offer true hope and help as is freely offered in God’s Word. 

The Three Main Issues Counseled in the Church Today

As a counselor and professor of counseling, as one might expect, I find myself doing a fair bit of counseling. And I am often asked, “which issues do you face the most?” This is an interesting question, because, though it is anecdotal, it causes me to look back over the years and try and condense and summarize—which central themes are most prominent among those seeking help? But it is also a fascinating exercise, because we are talking about the church—not the world. It would pique my interest to know the three main issues counseled in secular spheres, that would be compelling in and of itself. But what I find intriguing about the present question, is that we are talking about the most prevalent matters plaguing the church—the very people of God. While I readily acknowledge my own experience and vantage point are inherently limited and therefore may not be universally representative, in this post we consider the three primary issues counseled in the church today.

1. Anxiety — Everyone has an opinion about anxiety. Some are adamant: “It is never sin, it is purely biological.” Others just as vigorously: “It is always sin, never biological.” And like it or not, it seems everyone faces anxiety—to one degree or another. I cannot quantify how many people counseled in the pastorate or through the counseling institute come in for issues involving fear and anxiety. Please do not perceive this to be conflating two separate categories, for, anxiety is a function of fear, and thus the concepts are closely related. That is, after all, why Christ, along with the rest of Scripture, addresses this topic so frequently. “Do not be anxious about what you will wear” or about your stature, or life, or “what you will eat”. Also, his regular rejoinder: “fear not” or “do not be afraid”. What is more, there is so much New Testament teaching on anxiety, it is hard to miss! “Be anxious for nothing”, or the practical applications of how to rest in the God who delivers us from fear. The counsel of “do not fear the one…” (Mt 10:28) and instead the call to a proper fear, “rather fear [the Lord]”. Elsewhere, we are explicitly encouraged by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7 that we have been given, not a spirit of fear—that is, fear and anxiety are not of our kingdom. Rather we have been given the Spirit of love, power, and self control. The absence of anxiety in the midst of any circumstance is the miraculous possibility of our kingdom, as Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13.

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