CHRISTIANS GOING TO SECULAR PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

 

 

Scripture tells us that the Bible is all that we need to live a robust life for Christ:

 

·       All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

 

·       May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:2–3)

 

Despite these promises, many Christians will respond, “Yes, God can provide us with everything we need. However, this shouldn’t prevent us from calling a plumber or a doctor. God can work through these professionals. Why not also the psychotherapist!”

 

Of course, this is true. However, God can work through all circumstances and all people, even the mugger or arsonist, since He is able to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28) even through the most painful circumstances.

 

But this isn’t the point. Instead, we do not seek out the mugger or the arsonist in the hope of learning life’s lessons. Of course, I am using an extreme example, but I think that it illustrates an important point. We should not put God to the test by seeking out the things He does not want us to seek. For example, rather than taking a brother to court for a minor matter, we are to go to the Church, which has the godly wisdom to mediate between the two parties:

 

·       When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 1 (Corinthians 6:1–7)

 

We can learn several things from this passage:

 

·       If brethren have the wisdom to mediate in legal matters, there are also brethren who have the wisdom to give psychological/emotional counsel.

 

·       We disdain the resources that God gives us when we, instead, choose worldly counselor.

 

·       In both instances, this brings disrepute upon the Church. It conveys to the world that Christ is not able to give us the needed wisdom.

 

·       Rather than seeing an unbelieving counselor, it is better to abstain, even if they are compassionate and supportive. It is unavoidable that those in need will be overly vulnerable to their worldly ideas.

 

It is inevitable that the unbelieving counselor will promote the “You got what it takes” faith, or “You can do it.” However, we cannot do it. Instead, our trust is to be in God alone (Psalm 62):

 

·       “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5)

 

Let’s suppose the best-case scenario – the secular counselor helps the counselee overcome their fears. This will result in self-trust rather than God-trust, pride rather than humility. Does this represent a gain or a loss? From a Biblical point of view, we must grow in God-trust, as Paul had taught:

 

·       For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. (2 Corinthians 1:8–10)

 

We need to die to self-trust. I have found that whenever I become self-confidence, the Lord will humble me (Matthew 23:12). However, when I am having a meltdown and have no other place to turn but to the Lord, He delivers me.

 

Unfortunately, the psychological community has been highly successful in promoting the idea that only the “professional” is able to provide psychological counseling. This idea has served to diminish the role of the Bible and the brethren, also at the expense of the counselee.

 

But isn’t going to an unbelieving psychotherapist like going to a secular doctor? If the one is okay to consult, why not the other? Taking care of the body or the car is a technical matter. However, care of the soul is another matter. It requires the wisdom that can only come from God through His Word.

 

Why? Those who have rejected the Light that comes from God have fled into the darkness, which hides their damning circumstances (John 3:19-21). Instead, we are new creations in Christ. Their lessons might seem to work for us, but it is inevitable that they carry hidden pathogens. Consequently, Paul warns us to not commit ourselves to such a dependent relationship:

 

·       Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14–15)

 

To place ourselves in a dependent relationship, where we might not realize that we have been yoked together, will surely compromise what we have in Christ:

 

·       See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:8–10)

 

Even if the psychotherapist is not trying to win you over to their point of view, when we are suffering and in need, we will inevitably seek to absorb, from the subtlest cues, what the therapist seems to have.

 

Instead, even though we are suffering, we need to remind ourselves that this is a sign that God loves us and is conforming us into likeness of Christ. Therefore, trust in Him and not in the secular therapist.