Equipped to Minister

It is disappointing to see that while churches will take responsibility for preaching the Gospel of salvation, as soon as [personal] problems occur, they send individuals elsewhere for help, not realizing that problems provide opportunities for sanctification. In fact, counseling has all but eclipsed preaching in importance for dealing with life’s infirmities.

Through encouragement to grow in their walk with the Lord and to depend on Him, believers not only learn to deal with current problems; they will also become better prepared for future trials and challenges they have not yet faced. Rather than getting into the habit of looking to another person to fix their lives or solve their problems, believers will become established in their own walk with the  Lord and in drawing upon the resources they already have in Christ. All biblical ministry is for the sake of building up believers in Christ so that they can walk pleasing to the Lord, serving Him, thanking Him, and glorifying Him through the good times and bad (Phil 4: 12).

     Martin & Deidre Bobgan, Christ-Centered Ministry versus Problem-Centered Counseling, Eastgate Publishers 2004,  pp. 12-13