Advent Series: Who Is Jesus? (Isaiah 9:6)Sample

"For unto 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

Over the next four days - we are going to be looking at these different attributes - or positions - that were prophesied over Jesus.

Understanding the character of Christ brings the gospel to life - and informs how we can and should approach him, even during our struggles.

Today we start with Wonderful Counselor.

What is a counselor anyway?

In the world of mental health, a counselor is someone who guides us through our tough times and helps us to find healing.

In the world of education, a counselor is someone who gives advice and direction on what path to take to reach your academic goals.

To go to a trusted friend or pastor for counsel - we are looking for wisdom, discernment and guidance in our situation or life.

Jesus is this for us. And he does it perfectly. Wonderfully.

He gives us direction and guidance through His word. Through His Spirit. And sometimes through others.

Our problem isn’t that we lack wise counsel - our problem is we don’t often seek it as our first course of action.

We often lean on our own understanding. Trying to figure things out ourselves.

Or we look to the world and this era of “self-help” gurus.

If you’ve had struggles with your mental health, it’s not uncommon to have had a BAD experience with a counselor or therapist. I know that’s true of my past.

I have had counselors that weren’t trauma-informed and re-traumatized me.

I have had counselors that didn’t understand my diagnosis of borderline personality and gave me bad advice - some even giving up on me.

I have had counselors that have spiritualized my mental illness and left me feeling like a bad Christian with little faith.

Jesus is not like the counselors who have failed us.

Jesus knows exactly who we are, and exactly what we need.

James writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, does not withhold wisdom or judge our weaknesses. Instead, He meets us with love and understanding, guiding us along the right paths.

I want to encourage you today to seek FIRST the kingdom - to call upon our Wonderful Counselor - on how to navigate your challenging situation, a fork in the road, or ANY circumstance that requires a decision or action from you.

This is our gift from God. Wonderful, perfect counsel.

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you tend to do first when you have a problem?
2. What does “wonderful counselor” mean to you?
3. How can you make running to our counselor your first order of business?