#11: And His Name Shall Be Called ...

First of all, let me say that the forthcoming commentary alluded to in #10 is in the works. I also wanted to add an addendum to "#9: Finding a Therapist," so here it is.

In #9, I offered various tools and tips to help you find a counselor that would be best suited to help you continue the process of improving your relationships. Though I believe that these things are important, I neglected to mention that which to me is the most important aspect of choosing a counselor.

Over 700 years before the birth of Christ, the ancient prophet Isaiah foretold His birth. In one such prophecy (familiar to many due to its inclusion in Handel's Messiah), Isaiah listed several names by which the Savior of the world would be known: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ... and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

When we consider the many titles by which we could reverence Jesus the Christ, it is of note that one of the first included here by Isaiah is "Counselor." More than any mortal, the Lord Jesus is qualified to assume this title. Additionally, the other titles listed here help us to understand why Christ is and forever will be our greatest counselor.

"Wonderful" - Some synonyms of this word include "amazing," "breathtaking," "magnificent," and "brilliant." Jesus is definitely a brilliant and magnificent counselor—but why? Because He is "The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." He is the God of the Universe, omnipotent in His understanding. He knows each of us by name and has suffered our very pains; He understands perfectly the difficulties that we experience. Isaiah further describes the Mortal Messiah as "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). Yes, Christ is acquainted with grief, but not just any grief—our grief. Isaiah continues, "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4, emphasis added). Because He gave himself a ransom, because He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities ... in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15), He has become "The everlasting Father" of our salvation. This is true not only in the post-mortal sense, but in every day and trial of our mortal lives as well. He has the power to save us from addiction, depression, negative family patterns, and every other destructive force that we might face. He does not promise us a life of ease, but we can be assured that if we look to Him as our Primary Care Provider (see Luke 5:31), we will have peace in the midst of affliction. He, "The Prince of Peace," gives to his loyal followers this promise: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

To close, in addition to the questions given in "#9: Choosing a Therapist," I would advise you to ask yourself a couple of others when trying to find a counselor. First, "Am I looking to Christ as the source of my salvation first, or am I trying to substitute something earthly for His healing power?" Second, "Does my therapist try to fix my problems, or does he/she direct me to the Source of real change, even Jesus?" For, as noted in holy writ, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save" (Zephaniah 3:17)—if you will choose Him as your most important counselor.