1. JESUS SAW WORTH in … a good Samaritan: Luke 10
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
2. JESUS SAW WORTH in … a chief tax collector: Luke 19
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
3. JESUS SAW WORTH in … a prostitute: Luke 7
44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
4. THE LOVE OF CHRIST…
JESUS was kind to the social outcasts: lepers, prostitute, tax collector, Samaritans...
HE did not recoil or reject or condemn...
JESUS understands you! Whatever you are suffering under, JESUS hears you...
JESUS removes prejudice...
5. REDEMPTIVE LISTENING…
One of the greatest human need is the need to be listened to… Listened to, noticed, believed ...
JESUS understands you! Whatever you are suffering under/from,
JESUS hears you… JESUS understands you!
6. PEOPLE HAVE NEEDS …
The greatest human needs: to be listened to – to be noticed... to be heard, to be taken seriously; to be given attention; "Let me finish..."
People want to be heard... listened to their side of the story...
Empathy: “the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.”
7. COUNSELLING IS LISTENING...
So for parents, spouses, bosses, church leaders, teachers, pastors, counsellors...
Our main role is to LISTEN…
Our ears and hearts are the most important gifts and roles; not our mouths.
Not what-how-why we think or do;
but how-what-why our children ARE thinking and doing....
Where they are now and where they need to be; it is about them, not us…
8. PROVIDING EARS AND HEARTS… TO THOSE IN NEED OF HELP
Counsellor’s role is to observe and listen… without interrupting or too much speaking ( except for clarifications)… for whose sake? Ours or the person ?
It is about them not about us… let the person speak…
Pay attention, listen, notice, be attentive, be concerned and caring, be interested… to our children, others…
9. GRIEVING PERSONS NEED TO HAVE THEIR HURTS HEARD…
Sin is a reality…
Sin causes untold difficulties and mischiefs…
Sin brings grieve in so many ways…
Grief needs avenues of expressions…
Pay attention, listen, notice, be attentive, be concerned and caring, be interested... to our children....
10. 2-WAY CONVERSATION
Counselling is a professional discipline subjected to proper rules and regulations…
Main medium is 2-way conversation and professional listening on the part of the counsellor; Not wan ju lai!(not recklessly)
Two-way communication; two-way respect...
Coaxing and encouraging the counsellee to find and verbalise his-her way forward…
11. EMPHASIS OF COUNSELLING
The counsellee not the counsellor is the person who matters
The counsellee is encouraged to think-speak-tell-find solution- make decisions
The real solutions lies with the counsellee...
Making adult decisions…
12. IT IS ABOUT THE COUNSELEE RATHER THAN THE COUNSELLOR
Encouraging counselees to think-look-find answers for her/himself…
Problems usually come from FAULTY thinking; Faulty spending; Faulty desires-wants-ambitions...
Prevention is better than cure...
13. SOFT COUNSELLING
Email: gohcounsell@gmail.com Whatsapp/message: XXXXXXXXXX(email for no)
Don't look down/Pandang rendah about soft conversations (via e-mail or WhatsApp); you actually think more before sending than straight talk through the mouth... Dan lebih senang, tak payah tunggu waktu atau tarikh atau tempat bertemu(it's easier, takes shorter time to converse without the hassle of making a face to face appointment). Think before you press enter. And not intimidating as facing another person. No cost... No fuss..
Confidentiality guaranteed: Personal details of callers will never be devouched; not the issues which are of course not unique to any one individual but universal.
14. THE LOVE OF GOD:
“The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled And pardoned from his sin
Could we with ink the ocean fill And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole Though stretched from sky to sky…”
(Robby Shaffer / Jim Bryson / Mike Scheuchzer / Nathan Cochran / Bart Millard / Pete Kipley)
About the writer
Goh KP
Email: gohcounsell@gmail.com
"GOH Keat Peng is pastoral counsellor for Agape Chapel and Living Room. He prays and believes that each follower and disciple can grow and manage their life at home, church, work and neighbourhood and thus be a living witness and testimony to CHRIST and Gospel"