by Scott Mehl
“I can’t.” “I’ve hit my limit.” “It’s just too hard.” “This situation makes me respond that way.” “I can’t help myself.” If you’ve spent any amount of time ministering to others, I’m sure you’ve heard these kinds of statements. They are the statements of the struggling. They are statements of exhaustion and discouragement. And, at their core, they are statements of hopelessness.
How do you respond when those you are caring for express these kinds of assertions? For a counselor or discipler, or even just a concerned friend, these are the types of statements that can quickly stop you in your tracks. They can cause you to put the biblical truth you were prepared to share, back in your pocket. They can leave you wondering whether you have anything genuinely helpful to offer. If the other person has hit their limit, you should probably stop pushing. If they can’t help themselves, then what is the use of your counsel?
Knowing Hopelessness When You Hear It
One of the most important skills for a biblical counselor is to be able to recognize hopelessness when you hear it. None of the statements above are assertions of truth, in fact
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