Welcome to Mondays @ Soul Survival. Each week I feature a book that I consider a valuable resource. This week’s selection is the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women by Patricia A. Miller.

“What Kind of Counselor & Friend Are You?

We’re all counselors. We counsel our friends when they seek our advice, our children when they come home crying because they weren’t invited to the party or suffering the consequences of a poor decision, and others when we write our blogs, teach a Bible study, or lead a Sunday school class.

And that is as it should be. Romans 15.14 says:

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

The word admonish can also be translated as “counsel.”

Are We Counseling Well?

We’re all counselors. The question is … are we counseling well or not. Are we counseling from our experience, according to popular culture, or are we counseling according to God’s Word?

While neither I nor the author, want to reduce the Bible to a set of verses on any given subject, the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women can help you be a better, more biblical counselor, friend, mom, dad or teacher by leading you to pertinent passages of Scripture.

From the Introduction:

The Bible is the grand story of God’s glory manifested in his rescue and restoration of his good but fallen and broken creation. This story is woven through every book in the Bible.

In Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women, each of the topics and verses is a window into the grand mansion that is the Bible. As marvelous as the view is through the windows, it is only when we step inside the grand house— rest in its rooms, explore its many passages and balconies, enjoy its beauty and light— that we will be truly transformed.

When we encounter this grand home’s Master and Maker— Jesus Christ, whose name is written on every wall and reflected on every surface— we will know at last that we are truly home.

The Bible is not just a reference; it is so much more. Please do not get bogged down in the topics or the references. Take time to read, study, memorize, and meditate on the precious Word of God. Let it saturate your life. Keep exploring this mansion for the rest of your life!

They [God’s Words] are not just idle words for you— they are your life. (Deuteronomy 32: 47 NIV)

About the Purpose of the Book:

The desire is that this book will be a tool and at least a beginning point for further study of Scripture. It also contains a pattern that can be used for studying many other topics.

Counseling is a work of the heart and mind. The biblical principles of God’s Word affect both the counselor and the one counseled. God’s Word is clear. How do people change? People change when their thinking is changed about a difficulty, sin issue, problem, etc.

God’s Word is the tool, measuring stick, and standard to help us see where our thinking does not line up with God’s thinking. When biblical thinking is put in place, biblical actions should follow. The goal is to guide troubled individuals, whatever their problem, into confidence in God and his Word. The true value and success of biblical counseling and discipleship rest in God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in a life.

The world system offers counterfeit theories, programs, steps, and temporary solutions to follow. But again, they belong to the world. They have no solid, God-honoring foundation. We cannot blindly put our confidence in these ideas. Everything we use in our lives and in working with others must line up with God’s Word. There is so much confidence, excitement, and freedom when we use the Word. We do not have to wonder, Will this work? Scripture is always sufficient for any area of life (2 Pet. 1: 3). Every problem, every need, every hurt, and every desire can be met by Scripture. While Scripture may not specifically address a particular issue, scriptural principles are valid to help an individual in every situation.

My Bookshelf

This is a book that sits on my bookshelf. While it’s not about a “take one verse and call me in the morning” kind of attitude, there are times when I’m trying to recall a certain verse or I need a starting place as I study out some subject or share God’s principles with a counselee or friend. At those times, I find it very helpful.

This particular volume is aimed at helping us share God’s truth with women, but there are two other Quick Scripture References, as well. The first is more general and the second is aimed at helping parents, teachers, and counselors speak to youth.

Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John Kruis

Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Youth by Keith Miller & Patricia Miller

I have a copy of each of them on my bookshelf, as well, and have referred to them many times. I recommend them to all our counseling interns and trainees, but I also recommend them for anyone who wants to have a better grasp of biblical truth and the ability to share it with others when the need arises.

So what kind of a counselor and friend are you? Are you counseling according to the world’s wisdom, based on your experience, or according to popular culture? Or are you counseling according to God’s inerrant, all-sufficient Word? It’s an important question and as believers, we need to be faithful stewards, rightly dividing and sharing the Word of truth. It’s what changes lives!

Blessings,
Donna

Quotations taken from:
Miller, Patricia A.. Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

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