The Art of Christian Counseling
Working Outline
Liberty University
I. Introduction:
Our value is priceless, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter, 1990, 1:18, 19). With this in mind, the Christian counselor understands the beauty and value of God’s work.
II. What is Important for Understanding Human Personality?
A. Personality
“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Proverbs, 1990, 16:1).
The personality is a reflection of multiple constructs within a person. The “forces” that shape may be viewed as a series of 5 “concentric circles diagramming the self” beginning with the “Core of Self” as the innermost circle (Hawkins, COUN507a, TB SO1 200720, Slide 2)
B. Motivation
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalms, 1990, 51:10).
“It is not…events either past or present which make us feel the way we feel, but our interpretation of those events. Our feelings are not caused by the circumstances of our long-lost childhood or the circumstances of the present. Our feelings are caused by what we tell ourselves about our circumstances, whether in words or in attitudes” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 17).
Our interpretations can be misguided. “Satan’s first and foremost strategy is deception” (Anderson, 2000, p. 23).
“Nobody other than you has the power to make you miserable. That power is yours alone” (Backus & Chapian, 2000, p. 68).
C. Human Development
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms, 1990, 139: 13, 14).
Based on the concept that our “personality traits come in opposites,” Erik Erikson...