There are seven vital keys to be applied in Christian counselling to in order to facilitate, healing, reconciliation and restoration. They are biblical and universal. Surveys reveal that the success rate of Christian counselling is remains at a high level of 85 percent. In order to maintain or increase this level of fruitfulness, these factors must be incorporated in every practice.
Suppose you were building a concrete driveway. You would have to use components like sand, cement, water and crushed stones of variable portions. If you omit one of these, even if the others were more abundant, you will have a faulty driveway, which soon will sink or crack. With this in mind, here are several key ingredients that must be present in the process of therapy and counsel.
1. GOD
The first key is God. He is the source of all that pertains to life. He heals the broken hearted and binds up wounds; He has great power and knows all things. He created us and knows how to fix our brokenness and relationships when we find our tangle in a predicament (Psalm 147:3–5). As counsellors, our roles are twofold. First, we ourselves look to God for the help, wisdom and resources needed. We humbly ask for those things we don’t possess to help His hurting children. Second, we also point those we are helping to look to the Source and help them get God in the broken areas of their lives. Our loving heavenly Father helps the helpee and the helper. He will find a way even where there seems to be no way in every predicament and make all things work together for good. (Isa. 43:19,Rom 8:28)
2. RELATIONSHIP
Healing, growth and change requires healthy environments for relationships to flourish. God designed the process of growth and healing to include the presence of acceptance, love, support and encouragement of other people. We were not meant to go through hurts, brokenness and injuries of sin alone. We need God and His people. Individual and marriage counsel, therapy, small groups, healthy connections and healthy churches are some of what God uses to bring about wholeness and healing.
3. TRUTH
Truth plays a vital role in the restoration process. It is simply defined as what is, or what exists, in reality. Truth is light and does much in bringing people out of the darkness of depression, addictions, relationships struggles and character issues. Jesus said “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” When Jesus prayed he asked, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Through the Bible, God teaches that the absolute standard of truth comes from His word and the person of Jesus Christ.
4. PLAN OR PATH
In our field we refer to a treatment plan. The bible simply uses the word path (Proverbs 15:24). The path of life for a wise person leads upward in order to turn him away from hell below. The path to healing and wholeness is a step-by-step process. God can do miracles where things happen immediately, but with purpose He chooses to use the process of healing.
5. OWNERSHIP
Success in counsel depends largely on ownership in the process. God’s treatment and design consist of a division of labour. He does His part. The counsellor also does his or her part and the counsellee does his or her part. God never fails to do 100 percent of His, and counsellor and counsellee must give 100 percent as well.
6. FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness heals and reconciles personally and relationally; it plays a major part in all area of life. Forgiveness opens the door of grace for the right relationship, both vertically and horizontally. Jesus said in Matt. 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-1514 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Proud, arrogant or inconsiderate, people do not want to forgive. But humble and wise people do. The scriptures declares in James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. Paul in Ephes. 4:32 declares “ Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.”
7. TIME
Healing, reconciliation and restoration are processes and it that takes time. They are is not immediate or instant. There are seasons and stages of within which fruitfulness comes . Time cannot be skipped but however minimized based the grace of God and the hearts of those involved. God’s process of wholeness and sanctification is progressive. Jesus said, in Mark 4: 26-28 “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground [27]. He sleeps at night and is awake during the day. The seeds sprout and grow, although the man doesn’t know how [28]. The ground produces grain by itself. First the green blade appears, then the head, then the head full of grain.”