CounselingChristians

Q: My husband has been verbally abusive for several years now. Yelling & swearing at me in front of our kids. It happens every 1-2weeks. Everytime it leaves me feeling hopeless & numb. He told me that he stopped apologizing to me a while ago because it is making me entitled. I have been compeltely guarded emotionally & physically. I told him that I don’t feel safe with him & he told me that I’m the only one that can change that.  He refused to do marriage counseling because he said it’s a way for me to shame & manipulate him. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want the enemy to win this battle in my marriage. I pray for us everyday & try to be brave. I can not take this for much longer. It is teaching my children that it’s okay to speak to someone this way & to be treated this way.  Please pray for my marriage. I feel stuck & numb. He is not a believer & tells me I am in a cult. A: Unsaved people act as their nature. They're trapped i...

Q: I’ve been interested in a guy for 6 months, and I am uncertain about him. We dated a but already. Part of me likes him, part of me says “you can do better”. Although he appears truly invested, I’ve been praying to God to give me clarity if this relationship is something to pursue....or if I am making the wrong choice.  I have have a really hard time making decisions in various areas in my life and I need help to decide on what partner is the best fit for God’s plans for my life. Is there more things I should do to have this clarity? I don’t want waste my time, or his time, even if he appears as a great guy. A: Talk to your parents, 3 trusted believers, meet his pastor and youth leader or men's group leader, and get the pastors counsel after they all meet to vett him, and updste you on him.  [if needed meet his friends, siblings too], then talk to his parents to learn more about him ....your goal is to probe to find out if he is really living a holy life. If he is immature, ...

Feel need to move church for kids & better opportunities Q: How do you know if it’s time to move to other church? I’m on the position feeling like I need to move on to another church. But I’m stuck on the situation where I feel like they’re my family and I owe them a lot because my Pastor always there for me and my family through ups and downs. But having my own kids, and Sunday school is lacking, and many more things, I feel like leaving. I don’t know what to do aside from praying and asking God. I feel bad leaving my church family but i also love my family especially my kids who need to be taught and meet other kids at their age group. Any advice? Thank you. A: Most churches have 75 members and few kids. Church is not a place for whats happening in many of them today (fun games& activities) but to learn and grow in holiness, to worship God, and serve God as we serve the brethren there.  If theyre teaching biblical Essentials and you agree with their secondary teachings, ...

Q: My daughter passed away in 2021 of natural causes, but I’m just so angry, sad, confused, and I feel like I’m just existing. I have a teenager and am pregnant due beginning of year with another girl….  My church doesnt has any grief resources and I’m just stuck. My family is absolutely not supportive (and haven’t been my entire life.) I feel like I’m on my last piece of strength. I just constantly replay that day in my head and I try to convince myself she is okay in heaven with God, but my heart hurts so bad. Some days I feel as if I’m dying of actual heartbreak. Idk what to do. And I’ve been In therapy, I have been drunk & high, but I am completely sober and have been (even before getting pregnant), I just don’t know what else to do.  A: You didn't mention your husband. If not married, I wanted to (as a believer is to) address this [before getting into the helpful reply below that will help you]. If you are living in sin, God will not bless you. He won't hear your pra...

Q: Is it normal to feel depressed after a tough season? I moved to a new city with my husband and had high expectations. We faced major financial challenges moving to a more expensive city and gaining bearings in my career post graduation. I got laid off from a terrible job only a few months in which broke me because I had been aggressively job hunting and experienced a major job rejection and lay off within 24 hours. I then went on to be rejected from another major job because I did not finish my degree (a few classes) that I put off due to health and mental health issues. This was a job at a dream company, it eventually led me to complete my degree which I’m grateful for. A few months later I got a full time job again and was so thankful. Up until that point my relationship with God was great, I was suffering in my season of lack but was desperately drawing near to God. The new job didn’t last long (layoff) and they also owe me thousands of dollars which I still don’t have and feel p...

Q: Have you been in a similar situation & what did you do? I have been in contact with group leaders about this. Long story short another single in my lifegroup asked me out in which I set a wall up of "I want to get to know you as friends first". Thank goodness because I found out he has gotten two girl’s pregnant within a year & has a history of abusing women. I’ve sent a message that has been extremely clear "I’m not interested and if he sends one more message his number will be blocked". 😮😬 He’s involved in everything I’m apart of at church. Wednesday nights, lifegroup, services. I’m genuinely scared to go back. I question now my heart and if it was in the wrong place when I started getting involved if something like this can deter me from going back to a place I came to really grow with the Lord & connect well with others. 😞 Edit: The lifegroup leaders had absolutely no idea. The baby is due in June so I’m going to guess not a whole lot has chang...

Dealing with Dream questions. Should Christians get counsel over Dreams they've had?  Dreams cannot usurp the authority of Scripture. If you have a dream and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your dream is in agreement with Scripture. If it is, prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to your dream (James 1:5) [as you are called to holy living]. In Scripture, whenever anyone experienced a dream from God, God always made the meaning of the dream clear, whether directly to the person, through an angel, or through another messenger (Genesis 40:5–11; Daniel 2:45; 4:19). When God speaks to us, He makes sure His message is clearly understood (1).  Does God still speak in visions & dreams? What does the Bible say about dreams? Christians discussing the topic Should you make life decisions based on dreams Is God speaking to me Hearing God, knowing his will & praying right The will of God for you...