Counseled - Facilitating ChangeSample

The second key counseling skill is Approachability.

Jesus walked through crowds and people followed him everywhere. Up the hills, in the desert where food was scarce, on a boat preaching to a vast crowd, at a wedding and even at a tax collector’s house for dinner. They even brought their children. 

How was Jesus able to pull this off? Even the most extroverted person would have gone crazy from being surrounded by this many people. We see in the Gospels that Jesus was a man of focus and everything He did was according to His mission, which was to do the will of God on earth. But Jesus was also available. When people approached Him, He never turned them away. Anyone could walk up to Him and speak to Him and He would respond, despite His busy schedule. 

Jesus stopped and made Himself available for those people who were cast aside by society: people who were considered sinful like the tax collectors and prostitutes, people who were considered unclean or cursed like the lepers and the physically challenged and also, people who were looking for answers to their deepest questions like the rich young ruler and the Samaritan woman. Just by making Himself available, Jesus transformed their lives. 

People who sought Jesus often had His full attention. Similarly, a facilitative leader is approachable and available in terms of his/her time and presence of mind. 

To Think Through:

How approachable am I as a leader?

Am I accessible to the people under my care?

Do people find me mentally available, so that they can trust me with their problems?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Teach me how I can be more approachable and available to people, when they need my help. Let me not turn anyone away who is in need.

In Jesus Name, Amen.