Pondering… 

I’m pondering a fresh perspective on segments of the modern biblical counseling movement’s worldview. I’m wondering if a common biblical counseling understanding of people (their “theological anthropology”) may, perhaps, be “a bit off the mark.”

What Do You Think? 

Let me know what you think about my ponderings.

Here goes…

More Than Just “Volitional” 

Here’s my question:

Could it be that we’ve made “volitionality” an “idol of the heart”?

We seem to overemphasize, “Just choose to do right; just choose to feel right!”

This reductionistic mindset puts our will/volitional capacity on the throne—exalting the will/choice above all other aspects of God’s design for us.

Could it be that we worship willpower?

But the Bible Says… 

The Bible clearly describes us as much more complex than simply volitional/choosing beings.

We are complex, interactive beings.

We are embodied-souls embedded-socially in a fallen world system under the prince of the power of the air (Satan).

We are relational, spiritual, social, self-aware, rational, volitional, emotional, physical beings in fallen flesh in a fallen world, called to progressive, comprehensive sanctification that, biblically and theological, includes much more than just “emotional voluntarism” (feel right, do right, instantaneously by sheer willpower).

What This Means for Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls Embedded-Socially 

Because we are embodied-souls embedded socially, one another ministry, soul care, and true biblical counseling sees the complexity of life and the fullness of the way and wisdom of Christ.

Thus, we do more than simply exhort behavior change or exhort emotional stoicism.

We realize, through biblical/theological anthropology, that diagnosis is richer than,

“It’s either a clearly diagnosable physical issue, or it’s a matter of willful rebellion.” 

So, we offer comprehensive (dare I say, ”holistic.”) compassionate care for saints who suffer and battle sin on our sanctification journey.

We address, with winsome wisdom, the fullness of what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made, the horrors of what it means to suffer (dare I say “to experience trauma”) in a fallen world, and the complexity of what it means to increasingly reflect Christ, day by day, until the day of our glorification.

(Mis)-Counseling the Wonderful Counselor

It seems that some, if they applied “willpower, willful choosing, volitionally,” to Christ, would have (blasphemously) said to Jesus in the Garden,

“Get it together! Feel right! Get your emotions under control! Don’t You understand that God works all things together for the good? And don’t go back to Your disciples asking them to watch with You! All You need is the Father. Don’t make Your disciples an idol of Your heart!”

Counseling Like the Wonderful Counselor: Comprehensively Compassionate 

Jesus, being fully human and fully God, understands perfectly and experientially what it is like to be an embodied-soul embedded-socially in a fallen world system. Christ is comprehensively compassionate. That’s why Christ’s biblical counseling sounds (and dare I say, “feels”) like this:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

The Groaning Holy Spirit 

Simply depending on the “willpower of volitional choice” demeans the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Even more than that, it demeans the compassionate comfort and “groaning” of the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit infinitely understands the brokenness of our world and of our embodied-souls, and models for us groaning for that future day when all will be well. Until then, life is more than “just choose right behavior and right feelings.”

A Comprehensive Resource 

“Emotional voluntarism” is not my phrase. Matthew LaPine introduced it to me in his comprehensive book, The Logic of the Body. In his book, LaPine develops an in-depth biblical, theological, and historical (church history) understanding of “theological anthropology”—how the Bible teaches how God designed us.

Also, if you desire a practical biblical counseling theology of how God fearfully and wonderfully made us—and what that means for biblical counseling—you may be interested in my book, Gospel-Centered Counseling: How Christ Changes Lives.

And, if you would like to see how this more in-depth model leads to rich compassionate care, you may be interested in Anxiety: Anatomy and Cure.