Definitions are important. We expect people to use words according to their proper use so that we can understand what they say. Generally speaking, this is not a problem. However, in the counseling room there are certain words that could be understood in more than one way.
Let’s use, as our illustration, the concepts of fear, worry, and anxiety. Today, we are in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Many are ________ (fill in the blank) with their futures. Before the virus hit, there were fears, worries, and anxieties; and, after we all stop talking about it, there will still be things to fear, to worry about, or to be anxious over. Thus, this issue is part of life in a fallen world.
Danger – the possibility of assumption
We are well aware that we cannot make assumptions based on where a person grew up, where they work, their physical features, and things of that sort. But it is possible to make assumptions about the words they use. For example, what if I say, “I am living in fear.” Have I just confessed my sin to you? Does your mind immediately run to the reality that the Lord says “Do
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