Wonderful Counselor - Names of Christ Advent Series
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.— (John 14:16 NIV)
“FREE COUNSELING.”
The sign on the door of the psychology building was bright and flashy. It was definitely the brightest sign I had seen on campus in a few months, there was no avoiding it. I stared at it, a bit confused. The woman behind the desk could tell I was confused. “Hi, are you looking for counseling services?” “Aren’t we all?” I joked. Either she didn’t get my joke or I wasn’t funny. Apparently, rule #1 to free counseling was that you don’t joke about free counseling.
She explained the whole program to me. I get some counseling, and some grad students at the school of psychology get free experience through counseling me. It was to be a win for both of us.For some reason though, because it was free, I didn’t trust it. Yes, I did need those services. It was close to the holiday season, and during the time of year that society told me I was supposed to be the happiest, I was deeply depressed. I couldn’t find myself to sing “Joy to the World” because joy was something I did not feel near the holidays. However, because of the fact that I did not have to do anything except for walk through some double doors to get counseling, I doubted its legitimacy. It seemed too good to be true, so I naturally assumed it would not go well. During that season of my life, I had doubts about most parts of my life. At that point, it had been a few years since I had walked away from God. Whenever I met a “Christian”, they tried to convert me by jamming Bible verses down my throat. Those verses meant nothing to me because at that point in my life that the Bible was just a book to me. I didn’t yet understand that the Living Word was real and alive and could have the potential to change my life. A Bible verse couldn’t convince me to follow Jesus, I needed to see Him in action. Unfortunately, I declined the free services. Instead, I barely finished the semester and trudged back to my hometown for the holidays. I went to Christmas Eve service with my family because it was tradition, and the only praying I did was praying that I could get out of there as fast as possible. Really, I expected to hear the same Christmas verses that were always said each year at that same service. I already knew the story of Christmas, why did I need to go back?
Advocate
Instead, the pastor got up and spoke about John 14:16. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16 NIV). He actually read all the different translations of that verse. In some, it says “helper” instead of an advocate. My favorite though was when that was translated into “comforter” (KJV). That verse hit me so hard that I couldn’t breathe for a minute. I was going to all the wrong places in life for comfort when I had it inside of me the whole time. All I had to do was be like the prodigal son and just come back home. Christmas was no longer just about celebrating some birthday. It also wasn't just about Jesus dying for us on the cross. Christmas was about the whole picture- from Jesus’ birth to Pentecost, after Jesus left the Earth. The story of Christmas never stopped, it is continuing daily inside of each of us that have said “yes” to Jesus.
Yes!
If I said that I needed a savior and that Jesus was my savior, I didn’t need to pay anything. It was like free counseling- it wasn’t too good to be true. God sent this Wonderful Counselor to live on Earth so He could walk in our shoes. He could understand our pain and our sufferings on a human level. Not only could he counsel, but when He left, he left a helper, an advocate, a comforter, inside of all of us to help counsel us for the rest of our life. We never needed to be alone again. This doesn’t mean that I didn’t need counseling. I went right to counseling once I got back to school (and it was the best counseling I ever had). I still get very depressed during the holidays, but I find peace in knowing that this season is not about a birthday, it is about the amazing introduction to the most incredible story that would one day save my life. Let’s remember this Christmas that the best way to remember Him is by using the counselor and the comforter inside of us and be that to others this time of year.
About the Author
Jessie is the founder of One Lost Coin- a ministry that helps people find Jesus in all parts of life- no part of life is unimportant to God. She is also a copywriter and a social media consultant that left her day job to help those with Christian blogs and ministries spread the good news effectively. When she’s not working, she is at the beaches of southeastern North Carolina with her husband and her two little ones. This is the fourth in the series of the Names of Christ.
I Am by Christ-Centered MamaThe Word by Lauren GaskillLight of the World by Dawn KlingeWonderful Counselor by Jessie of One Lost CoinBread of Life by Darlene of Time Warp WifeWay, Truth, Life by Sara of The Holy MessGood Shepherd by Amber of Through Hope's DoorMediator by Heather of Compared To Who?Prince of Peace by Rachael GilbertResurrection by Traci of Traces of FaithEmmanuel by Amaris of She is ReclaimedAlpha and Omega by Carmen of Married By His Grace 