Worldview and Biblical Counseling

One author has defined counseling in this way, “Counseling is a conversation where one party with questions, problems, and/or trouble seeks assistance from someone they believe has answers, solutions, and help.” Looking at the idea of counseling this broadly, one can undoubtedly see that counseling happens all the time. Coworkers may consult one another about where to go for a good vacation. Church members in small groups may ask one another how to discipline their kids or care for their aging parents. A child may approach their parent or older sibling about how to deal with a bully. These and many other scenarios are going on all the time. Questions are asked, and counsel is given.

It would be reasonably easy to make a case that everyone is a counselor to some degree. We all counsel, for good or for ill. No degrees are required. No real skill is needed. One doesn’t even have to give correct or wise answers. One thing that will always hold, however, is that whatever counsel someone gives will come from the counselor’s worldview. We all give our counsel based on how we think the world works.

We all base our counsel on some source of authority, be it our own experience, perhaps our understanding of science, socially accepted best practices, or even what we read on social media while scrolling at 2:00 a.m. We also offer counsel based on how we understand the problem and what is causing the problem. We counsel toward a goal; some outcomes are considered suitable or desirable. Given our understanding of the problem and the goal, we will suggest a means or method to take steps to move from problem to solution. Our worldview informs each of the steps in our counsel.

Thankfully, as Christians, we are not left groping in the dark for the answers to these foundational questions that shape worldview. God is our source of authority and has answered these worldview questions in His inerrant and sufficient Word, the Bible. We often connect the Bible to issues of salvation and eternity, but sadly, we don’t necessarily think to look to the Scripture for the day-to-day moments of life. Yet, Peter reminds us that God’s power has “granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), and Paul instructs Timothy that the inspired Word is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). These day-to-day decisions and counsel are built on the foundational and comprehensive answers that the Bible provides.

Sadly, much counseling in the church today is informed from sources of authority that contradict the Word of God or are drawn from the worldly wisdom of man, minimizing the authority of Scripture. Counselors often misidentify the source of people’s problems and frequently have goals and solutions that are far too “earthly.” At Mid-America Seminary and College, we strive to build our theory and counseling methods based on a biblical worldview. We believe that the Bible speaks to these “big questions” that form the foundation of our worldview.

The Bible tells us what is real, who God is, and what it means to be human, created in the image of God. It answers questions of meaning and identity. The Bible tells us our deepest problems and where they come from, primarily our sinful hearts. Most importantly, the Bible introduces us to the Savior, the One Who died in our place, and provides a way to be redeemed. Once we have surrendered our lives to Him, the Bible is the means used by the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and hearts (Ephesians 4:23) and to sanctify us (John 17:17), with our ultimate goal to bring glory to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:28–29).

Thankfully, when people come to us for counsel, we have a rich resource in the Word of God. God has spoken and answered these foundational questions that form a biblical worldview.