A Word from Bob: Today is the first of a two-part blog mini-series on biblical marriage counseling. Part 1 focuses on Having Hope as a Marriage Counselor. Part 2 focuses on Offering Hope to Hurting Couples. I’ve developed these two posts from Chapter 5 of my new book, Gospel-Centered Marriage Counseling: An Equipping Guide for Pastors and Counselors.
Infusing HOPE in the Midst of Hurt
Biblical marriage counselors are soul physicians who serve under the great Soul Physician. When we meet with a hurting couple, we do not pretend that their problems are non-existent. We take them, their hurts, and their problems seriously—seriously enough that we prescribe major heart surgery. But we also do not panic. God, in His Word, has the plan for marriage and marital healing.
Because couples frequently come to us having lost all hope, before we do anything else we launch the marriage counseling process by infusing hope in the midst of hurt. We put into action resurrection-focused marriage counseling. Here’s how we spell marital HOPE:
H Having Hope as a Marriage Counselor: Practicing Resurrection-Focused Counseling O Offering Hope to Hurting Couples: Trusting God to Do Abundantly More Than We Can Imagine P Promoting
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