Faith

When I'm Not In Awe Of God

Christian counseling

It struck me that I'm not living in awe of God when I was able to read Romans 5:2 without stopping, I moved to verse 3 without missing a beat. I forced myself to re-read verse 2 over and over, I eventually had to ask myself why this verse isn't provoking anything in me.  

Romans 5:2 "Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory." 

After some soul searching, it was clear God does not impress me. The reality of undeserved privilege and SHARING GOD's GLORY was small fry. This was quite disturbing to me, so I began to delve deeper. What did impress me? What was I in awe of? Two things were apparent to me, at times I'm in awe of nothing and other times I'm in awe of life's pleasures.  

When I'm in awe of nothing  

The grind of life can become robotic. I can become accustomed to doing the same thing day in and day out. Major goals in life are hard to accomplish, life gets in the way and it hurts too much to face it. I put my head down, go back to the grind and occasionally look up to be reminded of thwarted goals. In this place I'm reminded that I'm in awe of nothing. Further soul searching with help from The Spirit revealed to be in awe is to let go of control or the appearance of being in control.  

To be in awe you have to become insignificant and at the mercy of something bigger than yourself. I think of nature; the most awe-inspiring acts of nature are also the most frightening. A lion, tornado, earthquake, volcano and hurricane all remind you of how small and not in-control you are.   

To be in awe I need to let go of trying to control my major life goals and give way to God's plan. I think the serenity prayer captures this concept nicely.  

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;  
courage to change the things I can;  
and wisdom to know the difference. 
 
Living one day at a time;  
enjoying one moment at a time;  
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;  
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;  
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;  
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.  
Amen. 
 

In my next post I'll discuss living in awe of life's pleasures. 

 

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About Me: I'm a Christian counselor in Vancouver, WA. I specialize in treating male teens and men's counseling. Please contact me with any questions about my blog, counseling or to set up an appointment.

All information and opinions shared on this blog are for educational purposes only. Please contact me or another mental health care provider for diagnosis and treatment. 

Christian Counseling | Vancouver, WA

Christian Counseling

Christian counseling Vancouver WA

What do I mean when I say I'm a Christian Counselor? First, please know that I'll work with anyone regardless of their religious beliefs and I won't impose my own. Regardless of my client's faith, the heart of what I do is for the Glory of God, I actively exercise my God given gifts to minister to men and male teens. I have had a call on my life to help people from a young age and I love what I do. For some clients that means we openly talk about God in session, and for other clients we never mention God. 

I love integrating faith into mental health therapy. I believe that it's through faith that we are most deeply known and most deeply know. The creator of your mind, body and spirit gives purpose, direction and hope in the darkest places. Some of the most amazing therapy sessions are recorded in the Psalms. Psalm 6 captures the heart, pain and cycle of depression, Psalm 73 graphically depicts the pits of envy and jealousy, Psalm 91 shows the protective mother* we have in God and Psalm 139 demonstrates how intimate of a father* God is.  

*(God transcends gender but reflects our gender roles, which both come from His image. See Genisis 1:27).   

I actively integrate scripture, prayer and identity into sessions while addressing spiritual barriers, wounds and shame that guys are stuck in. It is amazing to see guys reconnect with their faith, knowing that they are loved, supported and have a purpose in life. God doesn’t waste any of your wounds, He restores and equips you through His love, to be a conqueror in the areas you were most wounded.     

I often get mothers, wives, girlfriends and fiancées seeking help for the men and sons in their lives. These amazing women want the best for the guys in their lives who are struggling. In many cases the guys are not active in their faith and might even be resistant. I work with these men by respecting their personal decision of faith. I never push my values or beliefs on them, but I remain open and look for signs that these men are reaching out for God. In this environment men can ask questions, state doubts and vent their hurts and frustrations. If a client is resistant to faith, we may never talk about God or spirituality but family can rest assured that I will never direct any client away from God in the attempt of mental health therapy.  

If you have any specific questions about my faith or how I integrate Christian counseling please contact me.   

Like what you see? Want to see more? Subscribe by going to the bottom of this website, enter your email and name.  Or like my Facebook page


About Me: I'm a Christian counselor in Vancouver, WA. I specialize in treating male teens and men's counseling. Please contact me with any questions about my blog, counseling or to set up an appointment.

All information and opinions shared on this blog are for educational purposes only. Please contact me or another mental health care provider for diagnosis and treatment. 

Christian Counseling | Vancouver, WA