Ecc. 4:9-12 states: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.“**
The strength of our TIL model comes from the Lord’s wisdom that “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We love working in teams of two to do the work of ministry because it is powerful! We are seeing results daily when we work together. I’m sure you know it to be true in your life. For example, when a married couple is united, they can be far more effective to do what God has called them to do than a married couple who function as though they are roommates and independent of one another.
Adding to our strength of two persons is the additional (and most important) Person in our biblical counseling approach: the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls us to do this work and we know that He will be leading us and “partnering” with us in the session AS LONG AS we honor His Word and yield ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the BEST part about our ministry for all of us – getting to see Christ work in the hearts and lives of those hurting souls we are privileged to serve! What an amazing God we have!
Let me encourage you today. You don’t have to have a Ph.D. or seminary degree to help someone else. Don’t let the enemy steal away your gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by telling you that you cannot “disciple/biblically counsel” someone else. You can IF you yield yourself to the Spirit and speak the truth of God’s Word to the hurting person you desire to help. Be sure you wrap the truth in love so that the other person can receive your counsel.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”** These verses tell Christians that we go through struggles with a PURPOSE – to learn how to comfort others with the same comfort that the Lord has given us through our struggles! You and I struggle for a good PURPOSE not senselessly. We are not needlessly suffering.
God has a plan and purpose for our suffering. We are to partner with the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to help others! Join us in this endeavor at TIL.
-Mark (partnering with King Jesus to do the work of ministry that He has set before me to do)
** -The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.) Good News Publishers: Wheaton.