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Striking The Perfect Match  Theolegions is a non-secular counseling ministry made up of Christian Counselors that provides its services without charge. I am asked many times about the term “non-secular,” and also about the difference between secular and non-secular treatment orientations, modalities, protocols and providers. I will attempt to articulate in this article most of the substantial differences as well as provide information of the counseling realm in general.

The realm of counseling can be bewildering to the layman. I want to introduce you to something we at Theolegions consider to be of paramount importance: relief versus cure. Our goal is ALWAYS to counsel a patient to a cure. Relief provides only a temporary band-aid and unless the underlying belief system that causes the problem is addressed properly, changed or removed, it is an exercise in futility to counsel. So let’s begin by defining both secular and non-secular counseling professionals.
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Non-Secular Mental Health Providers

Christian Counselors ~ Many professionals who describe him/herself as a “Christian Counselor” may or may not have had professional training in psychology or mental health counseling. Quite possibly this is because many of them believe that secular orientation is seriously flawed and at best fraudulent. This belief centers on the fact that the Judo-Christian bible teaches that man is incapable of curing himself and that the human mind is beyond redemption. To become a Christian is to receive a new mind – the mind of Christ. Christian Counselors believe that a person’s emotional and life difficulties are the result of incorrect belief systems, specifically as it pertains to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Christian Counselors assert that if you re-order your life according to the principles in the Bible and are obedient to these principles, your psychological problems will be solved because you are not using your old mind but your new mind of Christ. Christian Counselors are strongly oriented toward evangelical Christian values. But Christians Counselors go much deeper than this defining belief. In the opinion of this author, the Holy Bible is the best and most complete psychology text ever written. Who knows better than the One who created the human mind about how it works, functions, and learns? Counseling involves imparting knowledge and understanding, but no amount of counseling will achieve its goal unless the person being counseled accepts what is taught as truth. In other words, CHOICE is paramount and excuses are not. Christianity is not so much a religion as it is a life style. It requires belief; but then it requires you to live like you believe. But when you think of it, aren’t we all living like we believe? Consciously or subconsciously we are doing exactly that. So a Christian Counselor concentrates specifically on non-secular modalities and protocols that lead a person to Truth and in return, a new belief system is imparted that provides the new born-again Christian with a new mind. We will discuss protocols and modalities in just a moment…

Certified Pastoral Counselors ~ This type of counseling professional is a secularly trained professional psychotherapist employing both secular and non-secular modalities and protocols. Furthermore, they also have a graduate degree in theology but not necessarily in Christian theology. This dual training enables them to address both your spiritual and emotional needs. However, this important distinction causes me great consternation. The Holy Bible states rather emphatically that oil and water do not mix. In other words, secular psychotherapy and Christian values simply do not mix. You cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in the Word of God so to speak. Secular beliefs center on the understanding that man CAN cure him/herself. The Holy Bible makes it perfectly clear that man is incapable of doing this so it is impossible for this type of professional to blend both the psychotherapy and Christianity together. In faiths other than Christianity, this type of counseling works well since only Christianity believes that man is incapable of curing himself. All other faiths believe that man IS at the center of his existence and not God. Pastoral Counselors are certified by AAPC after lengthy training and experience. They do not impose any religious beliefs on you, but are trained to understand your spiritual journey as well as your emotional difficulties. Generally they are equally supportive to persons who are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, New Age, or any other spiritual tradition. Non-Christian religions bring “self” back into the picture and practice subjective rather than objective truth. Only Christianity practices objective truth!

Spiritual Director ~ For those people who would like to do some work on spirituality with a separate person or guide then a Spiritual Director is the person you seek. Spiritual direction is an ancient practice that grew out of the monastic tradition. Spiritual directors are trained to be companions to you on your spiritual journey. They do not impose beliefs on you, but will help you develop a spiritual path, by working with you on prayer, meditation, and study. Spiritual directors do not claim to be able to help you with psychological difficulties (unless they also happen to be trained psychotherapists); they would refer you to a psychotherapist for help with those issues. Like psychotherapists, they are not necessarily trained in any specific religion but strive for tolerance and spiritual neutrality. My comments above pertain here too. Spiritual Directors are not necessarily trained in Christian values or any other faith-based tenets. Only God cures; any other faith is seriously flawed. Our experiences in counseling demonstrate this to be true. All three non-secular type counselors can be very beneficial to a patient if what they teach and counsel is God-based and nothing else.

Secular Mental Health Providers

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers or L.I.C.S.W.s ~ have a master's degree in social work (MSW) and additional supervised experiences. Social Workers are trained in psychotherapy and social work techniques. Generally, social work professionals provide counseling to individuals, couples, families and groups directed toward specific goals. Social workers who work in private agencies or independent practice must hold state licenses.

Psychologists ~ may have a Ph.D., Psy.D. or Ed.D degree, all of which are doctoral level credentials. Psychologists have received extensive training in research or in clinical psychology, with additional supervised experiences after they receive their degree. Psychologists may also have training in psychological and/or neuropsychological testing. Psychologists are state-licensed. There is a term being bantered about today in the non-secular field called a “Christian Psychologist.” I am not comfortable with this term because once again it attempts to blend the secular with the non-secular and this simply cannot work.

Psychiatric Nurse Mental Health Clinical Specialists (CSs) ~ are Registered Nurses with additional special education in mental health care. These advanced practice nurses may offer mental health care, which includes evaluative, diagnostic, consultative and therapeutic procedures as well as prescribing medications. Psychiatric Nurse Mental Health Clinical Specialists must hold a master's degree in mental health nursing, meet the registered nursing criteria for advanced practice and receive its authorization. These advanced practice nurses are also certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Psychiatrists (M.D., D.O.) ~ are licensed medical doctors who have chosen psychiatry as their residency, or specialization. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and often practice some form of psychotherapy. Psychiatrists may be Board certified in psychiatry and/or child psychiatry. Licensing is provided by each state and professional conduct is monitored by each state licensing board.

Licensed Mental Health Counselors or L.M.H.C.s ~ hold a master's degree from a graduate program in the field. They may render mental health care services to individuals, families or groups. L.M.H.C.s use therapeutic techniques to define goals and develop treatment plans aimed toward prevention, treatment and resolution of mental and emotional dysfunction. Mental Health Counselors are licensed by each state, which also monitors professional conduct.

Psychotherapist ~ is a general term and any of the mental health providers described above may also be called a psychotherapist. Some psychotherapists may also be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or a Pastoral Counselor.

Orientations

Let’s talk about orientation or the specific type of therapy a secular counselor practices. Non-secular counselors do practice secular orientations with the exception of Christian Counselors described above. Once again, the reason for this is: 1. Most Christian Counselors are not trained in any of the following orientations, and 2. Most do not believe that any of the following actually work to affect a cure, although they do believe that the following can provide relief.

Behavioral Therapy ~ Behavioral approaches use learning theory to create changes in behavior. The goal of behavioral therapy is the unlearning of unwanted behaviors (thoughts and feelings can be regarded as behaviors) and learning of desired behaviors in their place. Maladaptive behaviors are weakened and adaptive behaviors are strengthened incrementally through reinforcements until a stable behavior change has occurred.

Cognitive Therapy ~ A cognitive approach to therapy seeks to alter maladaptive thought patterns, such as overgeneralization or wishful thinking. This approach emphasizes rationality and a positive outlook. It is most often used for anxiety and depression.

Existential Therapy ~ Existential therapy deals with some of the major issues in our existence, such as the meaning of life and mortality. It focuses upon taking responsibility for our own choices and creating meaning and purpose in our lives. It is used most often for people who are coping with issues of death and dying.

Psychoanalytic Therapy ~ This is the orientation founded by Sigmund Freud. A therapist using this orientation seeks to help the patient understand how the forces at work in their unconscious affect their conscious life with the idea that once the patient consciously understands these forces, they will be able to make choices about their lives rather than being at the whim of these unknown forces. This type of therapy involves frequent meetings and may continue for years. Therapists say little, but rather guide the patient in finding meaning in their own dreams, free associations and other expressions of unconscious material.

Psychodynamic Therapy ~ This approach is based upon psychoanalysis; however, it allows for mixing of orientations, is shorter in duration and practitioners are more communicative than psychoanalysts.

Eclectic Therapy ~ Eclectic simply means that the therapist picks and chooses from a variety of orientations according to what works best for the patient.

Modalities

Both secular and non-secular counselors of all types practice the following modalities without exception.

Individual Therapy ~ This modality involves one-on-one work between patient and therapist. It allows the patient to have the full attention of the therapist, but is limited in that it does not allow the therapist an opportunity to observe the patient within social or family relationships.

Family Therapy ~ This approach is most useful when it is necessary to work on dynamics within the family group.

Group Therapy ~ Group therapy generally involves anywhere from three to fifteen patients. It offers patients the opportunity to give and receive group support in coping with their particular issues as well as to observe how they interact in group settings. It may also be a less expensive alternative to individual therapy.

Couple's Therapy ~ This type of therapy is geared towards married couples and those in significant other situations who desire to improve their functioning as a couple.

Protocols

The word “protocol” seems to confuse most people. Many counselors – for lack of a better term - refer to a protocol as a treatment plan but this is not completely true. In actuality, a protocol involves the treatment plan but more specifically it is an outline for treatment as well as a concise plan of attack regarding various issues affecting patients.

What is a Protocol? It is a written framework of procedures and principles to follow in a given situation (treatment procedures). For situations such as, abuse and neglect situations, it helps to provide people with cues or "red flags" to potential dangers and harms. It also becomes a guide for action - helping people to know what they should do in order to respond to a suspected case of abuse or neglect. In short, it is a quasi-business plan of attack or framework for action against a plethora of mental health issues.

Purpose of Protocols ~ Protocols serve several important purposes. They are intended to help the counseled person and establish a framework for action. They stress the need of creating a supportive, non- judgmental rapport with the counseled person as the first step towards successful intervention. Protocols can guide people's actions in helping and treating, so that they do not inadvertently re-victimize the counseled person. The steps set out in protocols can also help achieve important goals. Protocols’ service providers, agencies and other concerned parties work together to prevent or stop certain problematic situations. Protocols can help set up inter-agency information sharing and referral systems. They can inform staff of their duty to report cases of suspected abuse, outline roles and responsibilities, assist in decision-making, and clarify expectations. They are a form of support for the front-line service provider, helping to reduce anxiety and uncertainty about reacting to problematic situations.

The following is a summary of some basic tenets of the guiding principles and working protocols:

* Collaborative working arrangements and coordinated models of care for shared consumers to be developed;

* Services to negotiate an appropriate agreed level of response to defined mental health emergencies;

* Principles of case management to be agreed between services;

* Consumer participation in referral, intervention, treatment, care and support and service exit decisions;

* Consumers having sufficient information in a format and language they understand, to be empowered to make informed choices;

* Services and supports to be appropriate to the cultural context of the consumer;

* Interventions to impose the least personal restriction on the consumer;

* Legal and ethical principles of privacy and confidentiality to be applied;

* Assessment, intervention, treatment, care, support, exit and re-entry planning and evidence of consumer participation are documented on the individuals care plan and consumer record;

* Plans for shared training, to support the implementation and maintenance of the guiding principles and working protocols; and

* Evaluation model in place to determine effectiveness of interventions.

Differences in Treatment

“The battle is always greater than the moment”

All of what I have written above describes the essential differences between the secular and non-secular realms of counseling. But, without a doubt, the most important differences center on treatment. This is where the “rubber meets the road,” so allow me to describe the inherent differences between secular and non-secular treatments.

First of all, what I am about to articulate on the non-secular side pertains to Christian Counselors only. As I have outlined above, Certified Pastoral Counselors attempt to meld both realms of counseling together, which I believe is impossible, and Spiritual Directors simply assist a patient in developing spiritual awareness and do not interfere in any type of religious orientation.

Basically speaking, secular counselors believe that man can cure himself; that man is at the center of the universe and controls his/her destiny. Christian counselors believe that only God can cure man and that God is at the center of the universe. This fundamental difference speaks volumes! The essential tenets of the historic Christian Church require a believer to die to self and be raised in Christ. Giving up your right to self is not an easy task for many people. Everyone wants a Savior but nobody wants a master. People want to control their own destinies. This is our inherent sin nature and a very serious fundamental difference between secular and non-secular thought. Let’s move on…

In my workbook for our Love & You Workshop called “Too Late For Fruit, Too Soon For Flowers,” I wrote the following: “Let’s say you have an itch. Everybody knows that to relieve an itch you must scratch it. But if you do have an itch, what is more important than a scratch? The answer is not having an itch at all. In other words, a person can choose to employ relief (the scratch) or a cure (prevent the itch first). Any medical or mental health practitioner will tell you that people are more interested in relief than a cure. “Just give me a magic pill,” is their battle cry. But we all know that life just isn’t that easy. The lessons we teach are all too easy to ignore. Prevention is a word that often goes unused in practice. Cure is its companion. Relief seems to be paramount and this is very sad. Please do not look for relief but seek the cure and more importantly practice prevention first. Preventing problems is the best policy.”

Okay, I believe that both non-secular as well as Christian Counselors believe in prevention, however we go about prevention in a different manner. Prevention to a Christian Counselor is teaching people how to overcome temptation by embracing the Word of God, which is absolute Truth. To a non-secular counselor, it centers on humanistic thought and exercises designed to establish a corrective belief system before a wrongful one is established or to paint over an existing wrongful belief system. In essence, it attempts to overcome subjective thought by using subjective thought –fighting fire with fire.

Thought is an interesting subject to human behavior specialists such as me. Temptation flourishes where thought is stifled. If you don’t think about the temptation, the voice of reason (your conscience) is replaced by the thrill of immediate gratification. REASON IS THE ARCHENEMY OF COMPULSION! And the more you give into compulsion and temptation, your conscience becomes calloused to a point where it even ceases to warn you.

But all action stems from subconscious thought, right? NOPE! All action stemming from subconscious thought is called interaction. Conscious thought is called reaction and is really not thought at all the way thought is defined. If I throw a baseball at your head, you immediately duck or put your hand up to block the ball from hitting you. You didn’t really give it much thought; you just reacted to the danger. But in essence, you actually did think about it even though the thought process took about a nanosecond. So, subconscious thought as you have come to know it involves reason. Conscious thought involves compulsion. Reason says, “Think about what you are doing. It has repercussions.” Compulsion says, “Don’t think about what you are doing because it will ruin the excitement.” So ask yourself, “Is bondage worth the thrill?” Your conscious reaction to my question is a resounding “NO.” But your subconscious interaction is a very big “YES!” And this is what enslaves a person. Remember, when a conflict exists between the subconscious mind and the conscious mind, the subconscious mind always wins…ALWAYS!!!

The most often asked question of me is, “How does non-secular treatments differ from secular treatments?” Good question! Allow me to answer this question with a visual example.

I want you to imagine a glass of Pepsi. The dark liquid inside the glass is a wrongful set of belief systems. A secular counselor would have you simply empty the glass or get rid of the wrongful beliefs. “Just spill it out! Stop it! Just say no!” Sound familiar? But as many of you know, it just isn’t that easy to do. It relies on the “will power” of an individual, which Christian Counselors believe is the counterfeit to what the bible refers to as self-control (Galatians 5:23). To accomplish the “spilling out of the wrongful belief system(s)” secular counselors use group support, education centered on subjective secular thought, residential programs that immerse an individual in reestablishing corrective beliefs, cognitive therapy, etc. And when a patient “falls off the wagon,” secular counselors do it all over again to reestablish the corrective belief system and in essence once again paint over the wrongful belief system that they have attempted to “dump” out of the patient’s mind. The underlying belief system causing the problem may “bleed” through at any time triggered by any number of events. In essence, only relief has been provided and not a cure because the belief system is still there only masked by a new belief system.

The mind learns by repetition! But with that said, it doesn’t “unlearn” anything either unless one belief system “replaces” another! We know the mind stores things as pictures. We animate these pictures in our minds. This “animation” either evokes fantasy from our desires emotions and will, or vision from our intellects. I remember my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Mattoon. But the way I remember her is as a picture. I can actually see her in my mind. It evokes nice memories because I really liked this woman. I can also remember some horrible things in my life and again I see them as pictures. The mind is truly incredible and powerful. It can project or perceive into abstract situations. Many years ago when I was in Paris, I went underneath the Eiffel Tower and looked straight up. Wow! That was a sight to behold. My point is this: I can use my mind to project myself at the top looking down and picture of what it would look like in my mind. BUT…and this is important, this doesn’t mean that my mind’s projection or perception has it right!!! And if I believe what my mind perceives is right, my behavior is the result of this belief because all action/behavior/conduct stems from the subconscious mind and my perception.

Christian Counselors approach a wrongful belief system in a very different manner. Take the same glass of Pepsi again; Christian Counselors do not believe you can “spill out” the wrongful belief system. To demonstrate what we believe, again imagine the glass of Pepsi but also imagine a bottle of water in my hand, which is the Word of God or absolute Truth. I pour the water into the glass until the dark liquid is completely gone. In other words, the wrongful belief system is “diluted” with the corrective belief system (the water) until the only thing remaining is the corrective belief system. The wrongful belief is still there; the person can go back to it any time they choose, however, by focusing on absolute Truth, the mind stays centered on the Truth and what it believes.

Now to many of you astute readers, you are saying to yourselves, “But isn’t this the same thing? Aren’t you just mincing words, doctor? One attempts to spill it out and the other tries to dilute it but the wrongful belief system is still there and whether you use secular or non-secular protocols, it can still bleed through.” BINGO! That’s right so what gives here?

Allow me to once again offer a visual example and forgive me if I am overly verbose. I have actually used this example in our Love & You Workshop. Okay, imagine a husband and wife; the husband has taken his wife to the doctor and afterwards the doctor calls them in together and tells the husband that his wife can no longer have sex of any kind…normal, oral, nothing! Now allow me to add another thing into the mix. Many of you guys reading this will say, “No problem, I can take care of myself.” Wrong! Masturbation is a sin! In Genesis 38, we read the story of Onan, who was required to take his dead brother’s widow, Tamar, and have sex with her to continue the bloodline of his dead brother. Onan did have sex with her but “spilled” his seed on the ground and God took his life for this because he wasted his seed. Masturbation is a sin for two reasons: it wastes a man’s seed and it involves wrongful fantasy in a man’s mind. The only thing left is adultery and everyone knows this is a sin because it breaks the marital covenant. Okay let’s get back to the husband and wife. Now sex has been removed from the marriage. The million dollar question is: will the man stay in the marriage and care for his sick wife or will he bail out and find another marriage where sex is not removed? Interesting, eh?

The underlying belief system here that I am speaking about is love versus ####. A lustful man will bail out and find another woman because he believes that sex is love. A man in love will sacrifice and care for his sick wife because his belief system is that sex is the effect of love and not love itself. You have two different belief systems here; one is wrongful and the other is correct.

Let’s continue the story… The man, being a human being with emotions and feelings, is troubled by this dilemma. He seeks counseling from a secular counselor who puts him in group therapy. In the group one guy says, “Just dump her. You’re entitled to a life. You only have one life to live, dude.” Another guy says, “Leaving her when she’s sick is pretty callous. Just go have an affair.” Both options as described above are wrong but the prevailing social mores suggest that either one is okay. In other words, both are based on subjective truth and both are based on lies. It allows blame and offers an excuse and places the man in the role as a victim. Let’s face it, the whole country now claims to be a victim. This is secular counseling; the use of subjective truth to assuage the stress and anxiety of whatever…to provide relief. Whatever option the man decides on is wrong and will produce a new set of stresses and anxiety such as guilt, dealing with divorce, peer pressure, etc. The best lies are always sandwiched between two truths. But they are still lies and subjective truth is nothing more than excuse.

Let’s give a third person’s opinion in the secular group therapy, “Hey, stay with her, man. It’s the right thing to do!” Yes it is; however, the belief system of #### does not embrace this option as being the right thing to do. #### focuses on SELF! The preservation of self and self-gratification always takes precedence over the right thing to do.

Now, let’s change the scenario for just a moment. The man, in his distress, seeks counseling from a non-secular counselor. Absolute Truth says that marriage is forever, that love is sacrifice and not sex; that adultery and masturbation are not an option. In short, a non-secular counselor doesn’t give much “wiggle” room for this poor guy. But absolute Truth never changes and is not subjected to social mores or peer pressure. It doesn’t offer an excuse; it only offers a choice. The non-secular counselor teaches the man this Truth. He demonstrates that by choosing correctly, he will suffer none of the stresses and anxieties the secular way would cause. The non-secular counselor teaches the man that sex is the effect of love and not love itself, and no man on the planet has ever died from becoming celibate. When the correct choice becomes a belief system, the man no longer suffers the anxiety and stress of his dilemma. Can the man “break weak” and go have an affair? Yes! If he takes his mind off of Truth, this can happen, but he only has to refocus on Truth to get back on the wagon. In the case of the secular counseling, his options were both “off” the wagon from the beginning.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call Heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, that you may live, you and your seed.

I need you to see the difference between both types of protocols. Truth can never be subjective because it allows blame and excuses and focuses the person’s thought on victimization. Secular counseling simply assuages stress and anxiety and provides relief. Truth must always be absolute and present choice. Choosing correctly provides a cure and corrects the stresses and anxieties. Absolute Truth does not abide excuses nor does it fix blame. It claims no one as a victim because it offers choice.

Matthew 7:24-27 Then everyone who hears these Words (*TRUTH) from Me, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew, and fell against that house; but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these Words of Mine, and who does not do them, he shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was the collapse of it. (*emphasis is mine)

There is one other very important aspect to this type of protocol. It is called character! Its secular counterfeit is called reputation. Character is acquired by the sum total of your experiences, education and existence. Reputations are simply made and are usually deceptive in nature since they attempt to mask over the real individual. Character is established in an individual as he/she lives his/her life and defines that individual’s beliefs, morality, position, and relationships. In other words, character is the outward expression of YOU! And more importantly, character is subject to change as your life changes. Character is developed by whatever you accept as a belief system. If your character is developed using absolute Truth, the result is a life of choices. If it is developed using subjective truth, the result is a life of excuses. Blame is a useless concept. Fix the problem and not the blame.

In the Christian Church today the emphasis is on sin management and not on character development. There are two essential problems confronting us all. One is the issue of pride; the other is the issue of love. The root of pride is defined as the preservation of self. Listen…

1John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that which is in the world: the #### of the flesh, and the #### of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and its ####. But the one doing the will of God abides forever.

The issue of character is very important. If a person’s character is centered on pride then that person is a consuming entity, bent on self-gratification and ####. He/She is a taker and not a giver! He/She has not “died” to self. Conversely, if a person’s character is centered on self-sacrifice then that person is a giving entity bent on moderation of all things and has the ability to practice self-control and more importantly has the ability to love. The underlying belief system is called Truth. It is either objective and absolute or subjective. Subjective truth is anything you want to believe in. Objective truth is the Word of God and it never changes. In objective, absolute Truth, you conform to it and not the other way around. Man is not at the center of the universe and we do not control our destinies. Your belief system is of God or it is of the world. Choose!

Love is an important issue, and to this author the most important issue facing men and women today. I use a saying quite often when I counsel people who tell me that love is elusive. “There is no way to love; Love is the way.” This may sound like double-speak to many of you so let me see if I can be clearer. Mankind’s inherent nature is to sin. We all will gravitate to our desires, emotions and will if left unchecked by absolute Truth. It is our nature to embrace the belief system that “seeing is believing.” But like my favorite saying above, God says that “believing is seeing.” What this means is that an individual is required to develop a level of faith that God or Love is the way. This is the most important choice. The bible says God is love and there is no way for man to find his way to God. God must intervene in a person’s life.

1John 4:16 And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love; and the one abiding in love abides in God and God in him.

I find in counseling people that more often than not, I am not counseling at all but simply unraveling misunderstandings. For example, loneliness is not being by yourself. I know people with tons of other people around them constantly who are extremely lonely. Loneliness is not being by yourself; loneliness is being without love. Love is the most important thing in life. Love develops good character; it is not selfish and is very forgiving. Love is sacrifice of self to others. And if a person believes there is no hope of love do they abandon themselves to ####? Oh YES!

One other subject is worthy of recognition before I close. It is called temptation. In Christen thought temptation is very important. Once again pride is the issue. Listen…

1Co 10:12-13 So that he that thinks to stand, let him be careful that he not fall; No temptation has taken you except what is human; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able. But with the temptation, He will also make the way out, so that you may be able to bear it.

This is one of the passages in the bible that is often misquoted, which is the topic for another article. The bible says to flee temptation. Yep, run while you still can….feet do your stuff! Listen…

2Ti 2:22 But flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with the ones calling on the Lord out of a pure heart.

You must never place yourself in situations that tempt you. Like the Apostle Paul is saying in verse 12 above, do not think of yourself as so strong that you can stand up against temptation lest you fall flat on your face. Recovering alcoholics should not sit in a bar or mingle with people who are drinking socially. The bible gives us examples of running:

Gen 39:7-13 And after these things, it happened that his master's wife lifted up her eyes to Joseph, and said, Lie with me. And he refused, and said to his master's wife, Behold, my master does not know what is in the house with me, and all that he owns he has given into my hand. No one in this house is greater than I, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, because you are his wife. And how should I do this great evil and sin against God? And it happened, as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her, to lie beside her, to be with her. And it happened on this day that he went into the house to do his work. And none of the men of the house were there in the house. And she caught him by his robe, saying, Lie with me! And he left his robe in her hand and fled, and went outside. And it happened, when she saw that he had left his robe in her hand, and had fled outside.

2Ti 2:22 But flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with the ones calling on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1Ti 6:10-11 For the love of money is a root of all evils, by means of which some having lusted after it were seduced from the faith, and they themselves pierced through by many pains. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.

I sincerely hope that this brief assists you in a better understanding of both the secular and non-secular world of counseling. If you have any questions, please send us an email at theolegions@Global-ReachLtd.com.

About the author: Dr. Jay Sherbondy resides in Las Vegas, Nevada and is the Director of Group Operations and Chief Human Behavior Specialist for Global Reach International Ltd as well as the Senior Reverend Doctor of Theolegions Ministries. The author of over two dozen books, Dr. Sherbondy attempts to teach the application side of human behavioral science. He may be reached at (702) 877-2420 or at drjay@global-reachltd.com.

Other articles by Dr. Sherbondy…to request an article simply send an email with the title of the article in the subject line to info@global-reachltd.com

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Dr Jay Sherbondy

Dr. Sherbondy is the Director of Group Operations and Chief Human Behavior Specialist for Global Reach International Ltd. http://www.global-reachltd.com and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada

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