HIS NAME IS : COUNSELLOR

“ His name shall be called: Counsellor.”  Isaiah 9:6 Be careful when you look at the word : Counsellor. I would suggest as you apply that word to Jesus you divest your mind of all the humanistic counselling we are often advised to seek. Counselling is the “in” thing today.Everyone needs counselling. Flood victims, bushfire victims, accident victims, mothers, fathers, children, all need counselling for one reason or another. Life is simply too much, too overwhelming for most of us without the help of a counsellor of some sort or another. Look at that word: counsellor. Who or what is a counsellor? A short answer is : A counsellor is someone who is trained to give advice, expert advice in some area of mal adjustment in human behaviour.  We are placing more and more dependence on such counselling advice for people with all sorts of need. However, counselling such as is everywhere being offered to people in need or in crisis has, no matter how good and wise it may be , an inbuilt weakness. It is humanistically based. It is the study of man by man. It is man trying to help man. This follows the advice given by Alexander Pope: “Know then  thyself, presume not God to scan. The proper study of man is man.” The proper study of man is man ,and that confines us to all the limitations and inadequacies of human beings. And this is not good enough. Counsellor when applied to Jesus has connotations above and beyond all that is human. It introduces  the limitless ability of God. As Counsellor we are able to call on Jesus and all whom He is and can do to our side. We have Jesus who is coming to our side not to blame, find fault, criticise or judge, but to aid us , to help us. Jesus comes to aid us , to make good our  insufficiencies, to make us complete and whole. And no one else can do this. Sin can and literally does ravage  a man or woman’s life. In the region of the soul sin can leave sores that never heal until they are healed by the atoning death of Jesus. Some trail memories  along with them from their past that cripple and crush their personalities and which make the beginning of each day a nightmare. There are areas of the soul which only Jesus does , when called to our side , heal and make whole and restore. His name shall be called Counsellor and fulfilling this role by being called to our side, Jesus guides us with the wisdom of God. He can heal and restore , and finally adjust the deepest regions of our being. He makes the wounded spirit whole. He sets the prisoner free. Why?          Because His Name is called Counsellor. Taken from the booklet “Is this the real Christmas? The way it really was.”    By Frank Hunting