Christian Marriage Counseling: The Need for God Inspired Guidance

Within the Christian marriage, when both the husband and wife share belief in God, it is a natural consequence that, should they experience any difficulties in their relationship, they would seek counsel from both the Bible and Christian marriage counselors.

In certain ways, a Christian marriage is no different than a secular one; everyone struggles at times with temptations. It could be an inability to tell the truth or a problem with alcohol or pornography. Issues as serious as adultery or gambling can also place a strain on any marriage. In this world, Christians are not exempt from any of these temptations. Should either the husband or the wife succumb to any of these, as well as other temptations, counseling is a must.

Even though secular marriage counselors are educated and trained to help anyone within a marriage who is struggling with a problem, it is better that Christian couples seek Christian marriage counseling by getting God inspired guidance from those who are learned in Biblical principles regarding marriage. Generally, the best place to start when seeking Christian counseling would be through the church the married couple attends. Often, the pastor is well-versed in this field; but, if not, they can usually recommend a reliable Christian counselor.

There are many churches that provide both family and marriage counseling. It is vital to seek out these resources available to begin the healing process and save the marriage. Within these services available, the Christian couple will find the resources needed to work through the issue together and thus get the optimum counseling available to restore the marriage and make it even stronger than before.

Whenever seeking Christian counseling, be sure that the counselor is desirous to save the marriage and not just find the best solution that might include divorce. The Bible is replete with passages that discourage divorce and encourage marriage. In fact, the marriage is reflective of the Christian’s marriage to Christ; thus it is a testimony to the importance marriage conveys to the world. A good Christian marriage counselor will always do whatever it takes to draw the couple back together again and ensure the relationship be restored and made stronger than ever.

When realizing there is a problem, be sure to seek a solution as soon as possible. The fact is, the longer you put off facing the issue, the harder it will be to resolve the conflict. As the Bible encourages the Christian husband and wife to reconcile their differences, it also warns about Satan desiring to tear the marriage apart. By ignoring the problem, you can often play right into the devil’s hand.

At times, especially if you are the spouse that does not have the problem, you may have to seek counsel alone first to initiate the counseling sessions you both need. By so doing, you will show your spouse that you are serious about saving the marriage and will do whatever it takes within the Biblical guidelines to do so. As a result, your spouse will be more willing to seek counseling together.

Once counseling has begun, some other issues might arise that were not made known; it is often the case that, whatever the temptation may be that your spouse has succumb to is a direct cause of something else. For example, pornography could have started innocently enough by looking at women dressed in skimpy bikinis. Or a drinking problem may have started out as an occasional beer with pizza. The point is, there are always root causes that lead to the current problem. It is vital to get at the root of the problem and not simply address the symptoms.

You will need to prepare yourself to not get upset or start blaming each other for the problem. It will take a huge piece of humility in order for you both to work through the issue, to then resolve it and move on. It may even come out that you are the reason for the pornography or alcohol or lying problem. Be ready for that and willing to change if necessary in order to save the marriage.
 
A good counselor will be able to help you over these landmines on your way to saving your relationship. You have determined that your marriage is worth saving; you understand the Bible’s position on the sanctity of marriage within the Christian home. By finding good Christian marriage counseling and getting God inspired guidance, plus being willing to work together to heal the issue that has injured your relationship, you will go a long way in saving your marriage.