When Theology Becomes Counsel: How Truth Shapes the Way We Help Others
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”—Luke 6:43-45 (ESV)
Whether we realize it or not, every word we utter is fruit. It can be good fruit or bad fruit, and the sobering truth is that even Christians can speak unwisely when our hearts are crowded with lesser things.
Every word I utter—whether it’s in an earnest conversation with a struggling friend, a word of advice for an exhausted parent, or a sharp comment to my children in my frustration—is a word of counsel. I don’t need to be sitting in a chair opposite someone in a counseling room to be offering counsel.
In my counsel, I inevitably reflect my theology. Even without articulating it directly, I reveal it by the suggestions I give. It’s not a far stretch to say that woven through my words is my understanding of God, man, sin, gospel, and eternity, even when I’m talking about anxiety, exhaustion, or struggles on the mission field.
For that reason, I thought I’d highlight two books that help us to form that firm foundation for a strong theology that can support our counsel. Even if you’re not a pastor or seminary student, I hope you won’t tune me out because as we just said—you are counseling too. These two books are suitable for all believers, whether you’re in formal ministry or not. My prayer is that they will help to equip you to counsel those you influence wisely and lovingly.
A Theology of Biblical Counseling by Heath Lambert
Far from being stuffy, Heath Lambert’s A Theology of Biblical Counseling pairs solid systematic theology (key doctrines of the Christian faith) with real-life implications. He writes, “Good theology is not just a recitation of what the church has believed, though that is important. It also includes what the church must believe today in the midst of contemporary threats.” For me, this book helped me to both build out a solid understanding of my faith and its relevance in today’s society. Though the Bible is ancient, this book helped me see that it remains both relevant and sufficient today.
Each chapter opens with a counseling vignette that Lambert returns to after carefully explaining each doctrine. After introducing the importance of rooting our counsel in our theology, Lambert goes through key Christian doctrines from a Reformed perspective, unpacking each in light of a real-life case study. He begins with the sufficiency of Scripture and an explanation of common grace, and then moves through discussions on each member of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He covers humanity, sin, suffering, salvation and the church, concluding with how theology aims to shape life and ministry.
With experience in formal counseling leadership, Lambert not only explains each doctrine carefully, he also demonstrates how he has applied that doctrine in his counseling. Though he is speaking as a formal counselor, I found it helpful to understand how to apply it in my own conversations, even in informal situations.
I read this book as a part of my preliminary training for certification with ACBC and found it very helpful in building my understanding of biblical counseling in general. As I read through each chapter, I began to gain a picture of what God intended for us when He created the world. Unfortunately, sin has led us to stray from that standard, resulting in the problems we experience in some way or another.
This book also helped me understand what my role as a counselor is. Lambert writes, “Counseling is a conversation where one party with questions, problems, and trouble seeks assistance from someone they believe has answers, solutions, and help.” He goes on to say, “To do counseling, the one thing the counselor must do is articulate some vision of reality that understands the dilemma of the counselee and offers a response to that dilemma.”
When we counsel, we’re explaining why their understanding of life isn’t working. This is where our theology matters. If we have a worldly understanding, we may drift toward worldly solutions, even as followers of Christ. However, if we want to give godly counsel, we will help others test their thoughts against Scripture to determine its validity. From there, we can help others envision a new path forward that is in line with what God has designed for humanity.
If you likewise are interested in exploring what biblical counseling is about, I encourage you to pick up this highly readable and practical volume. Beyond reading it for knowledge, however, I encourage you to read it to let God help you to know Him and His heart better. A study in systematic theology is meant to not only fuel the mind but warm our affections for the God we love and worship. As this happens in our own hearts, it allows us to serve others as ambassadors for Christ through winsome and wise counsel.
Even Better Than Eden by Nancy Guthrie
Besides a solid systematic theology, we also need a thorough biblical theology. While systematic theology focuses on doctrines, biblical theology looks at various themes in the Bible as a whole book. It’s easy for us to study the Bible in books, verses, or even as words, but each of the sixty-six books of the Bible actually form a single, unfolding story.
While there are many excellent books on biblical theology, I thought I’d share the one that got me hooked in growing in this area. I read this book with a group of women one summer and the general consensus was, “Why wasn’t I taught this earlier?” Most of us had been Christians for years and had not recognized these recurring themes, but as we read the book, we began to see how all of Scripture’s grand trajectory does shape how we live.
Through the book, Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything About Your Story, Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie traces nine themes from Genesis to Revelation. Guthrie begins each theme with a contemporary experience that helps us enter the storyline and then develops that theme starting from Genesis, working through the Old Testament history, literature and prophecy, culminating in the Gospels. She carefully demonstrates how the cross is the ultimate reflection of that theme, and then shows how this theme impacts our lives today as we wait for the final expression of that theme in the book of Revelation. Each chapter concludes with a hymn, inviting us to respond with praise.
Understanding God’s overarching Story helped our reading group explore many areas of our lives. The theme of Wilderness helped put context to our sufferings. The theme of Image helped us understand our identity in Christ. The theme of Bridegroom provided a vision for marriage. The theme of City reminded us where we are headed and how that eternal destination impacts how we live with hope today in a dark world.
One of my favorite chapters was (no surprise) on the theme of Sabbath. It was through this chapter that my exploration of regular rhythms of rest began. I am still just a novice on the topic, but understanding how God built in this work and rest rhythm as early as creation helped me to see why rest is not a luxury but a necessity if we want to reflect Christ in our ministries.
As Guthrie says, “There’s another story…that shapes and defines where I came from, why I am the way I am, what my life is like day to day, and what is ahead for me in the future…This story has the power to change everything about our stories.” As Guthrie invites us to learn the Bible’s grand narrative, we begin to understand what used to be isolated texts as one story of God’s redeeming plan. This shapes our counsel and helps us to understand and share Scripture in its broader context as well as bring hope, perspective, and help to those who suffer with the pains and uncertainties of life here on earth.
Next Steps
If you have wondered how God’s Word impacts our counsel, I hope these two books will help you to not only know Scripture better but help give you full confidence in its power to change lives—including your own. We often pick up books to help others, but I encourage you to read each of these, asking God to search and grow your own heart first. May the truths of the Word sink deep and challenge your own mind and heart, so that the next time you open your mouth your words will “always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person.” (Col. 4:6)