Running head: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT 1 SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT 2 Spiritual Discernment in Counseling Jackie L. Johnson Liberty University Abstract This paper will identify my discernment for decision making process. It identifies using a survey what is important to my decision making process. I will identify the approach I primarily align with in making decisions. Taking a look at the past and present influences that shape my spirituality and discernment approach. I will identify that impact my family and my upbringing in and out the church impacts my current thought process on seeking guidance and making decisions. After identifying these factors, I will identify practical application and how to identify how my own discernment approach can …show more content…
Not, decisions that will bore me or will cause me a great deal of distress. I believe our desires and interest can be driven by God to guide us into our purpose. I understand that everything we desire is not good for us; however, considering it can create a more peaceful mind set. Looking for signs of confirmation from God is very important to my decision making process because it is reinforcement and encouragement that I am making the right decisions for my life. Spencer (2010) states ??Reading the Signs? is important. We can misread relational poison (sexual temptation) and suffer relational death (adultery and divorce) (p. 33).? Not having the right relationship can cause us to misread signs in our lives. Considering personal strengths, talents, gifts, and abilities is very important due to God developed these things in us. It is important that we use them and are purposeful. I am blessed and my talents should be used for his will. Setran (2011) states ?The providential aspect of vocation reminds us that God has already been at work in their lives, bestowing gifts, developing passions, revealing needs, and providing opportunities and people that shape their vision and perspective …show more content…
We attended several different churches growing up all of a different denomination. The one thing that stood firm in all the churches was that God had all the answers. When you are unsure of what to do next look to him and he will lead the way. I watched my mother pray, attend Bible Study, and Wednesday night service. The one thing I do know is we always had what we needed when we needed. There was no time in my childhood that I went without. However, I admit as a young child I hated church and religion. I felt as if it was being pushed on me in way that made me uncomfortable. It took me years to become comfortable in church. While my mother was heavily in the church she was very judgmental and everything that was ?worldly? was of the devil. My biggest fear about church and religion was being judged. So, early on my decision making was solely based on what I wanted and my need for immediate gratification. I must say that it never ended
The assessment tool that I plan to use in this intervention is the biopsychosocial spiritual assessment tool. This assessment tool will give me a good impression of what Marcel is dealing with. This assessment tool will give me information such as some of Marcel’s background information, such as age, mender, and ethnicity. This assessment tool will also give me some insight on Marcel’s childhood. Some of the things he may have experienced in that time in his life that has caused a negative effect on his life and if some of those experiences are connected to the problem that he is having. This assessment tool will also address some of Marcel’s family background. This information is important because it may show some of the
After seeing though the eyes of my pastor I’ve come to realize the importance of faith and committing to one’s beliefs. Returning to church after two massive losses has helped my mother in many ways and it has also taught me as a young man how small things that I could do would turn to have a big impact on someone’s life the same way my pastor impacted my life and the life of my siblings.
Church is a major part of my life. I have always gone to church. It is a part of who I am. Church is not only about sitting through church services. I am currently involved in Russian school, Sunday school, camps, wind ensemble, teens’ group, teens' choir, and youth group. There are so many engaging activities and groups that bring together our community, defining who we are as individuals and as a society.
Again I was raised neutrally with religion. As a family we didn't attend church. My grandparents are all Jehovah's Witness's, although both my father and mother ended up being disfellowshipped from the congregation. Since not having any religious influence being taught to me, I was open to explore different religions for myself. I learned about several different religions. I know now that I am a Spiritualist, rather than Christian.
For as long as I can remember, I have gone to church. My entire life I have known this concept of Jesus and who he was. And for some reason, that was supposed to be important to me. As a kid, I could tell you the majority of the Bible stories, after all, I heard them all the time. Even at a young age, though, I could tell there was more to the whole Jesus thing. It seemed that some people understood on a deeper level what all this church stuff was actually about. As I began to learn more about this Jesus, I began to question why he was important to me and what he had to do with the life change in the people around me.
Biblical Counseling is making a strong impact in today's churches and community. Counseling is seen as one of the most productive ways of helping a
Values, Morals, and Beliefs are components that play a role in an individual’s self-identity. The establishment of these components shape human nature, behavior, and the development of an individual’s purpose. The basis of these fundamentals has contributed to my desire to become a counselor. This paper will discuss my views of human nature, factors of behavior changes, goals of therapy, the roles of a therapist, and the counseling approaches that I chose to incorporate in a practice.
Religion and faith have been a part of my life since the day I was born. My grandfather has been a pastor at Selma Church of God for 39 years and my mom, along with my grandmother and aunts, run our churches worship team. One could only assume, I have spent much of my life in the church. From years of children 's church and Sunday school, I learned of God 's unconditional love for me and His constant willingness to forgive me of my sins. My family and teachers explained the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. As a child, I knew all these things, these wonderful things about my God and my religion, but it was not until my early teens that I began to thirst for more.
As I stated before, I grew up in church. In fact, the church I attend today is the one my father started attending when he was only seven months old. I have strong familial ties to my church and that is ultimately where my faith began. I sometimes reminisce back to when my father would sing Amazing Grace with me and my mother would teach me Bible stories. Together, my parents were my Sunday School teachers from third to sixth grade. I loved going to church as a family: my sister, my parents, and myself included. My sister, two cousins, and I even formed a singing group at my church in honor of my grandmother, Minnie (we were called “The Minnie Maberrys”) Needless to say, my family has been an integral part of my faith. I have sought encouragement from them and the wisdom they have instilled in me will remain with me for a lifetime. Another crucial facet of the growing of my faith has been the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization, or FCA for short.
Which brings me to Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development, specifically Individual-Reflective Faith which occurs in early adulthood. Growing up as a family we went to church every Sunday and sometimes even twice a week, everyone in my family was a catholic and that was expected from all of us, no questions asked. I even got baptized as a baby and did my first communion when I was about nine years old. I did not mind the expectation from my family when I was little because I loved church, especially the singing. Then came a time where both of my parents started to work on Sundays, so did my sister, and so my brother and I helped out at my parents restaurant. Ever since then we really have not made church a priority, I believe this is what effected my encounter with my mother when I was eighteen years old. I was currently taking a class called “religion in the modern world” and learned about all rituals and how different religions support different things than others, and it got to me to reflect on what religion I grew up learning about. Some things I liked and some things I was horrified by. So talking to my mother, I was telling her my opinions and what I believed in and that there is not just one way to believe or think. She was furious, I was stepping out of the norm, but it had been because of my Individual-Reflective Faith than lead me to this stage. I am very thankful I was able to reflect on my faith, I now have a stronger bond on my beliefs and now my mother totally supports me on it, so it was all for the best that I went through this
During this paper I will explain my values, decision making style, personality type, and goals. Values play a big role in each individual’s daily lives from the day they was a small child to the day they pass away. Although, some people’s values differ does not mean they are less important. A person’s personality will explain how they interact with others, and their strengths and weaknesses. Using deciding styles can help you when making decisions. Also, by setting goals we are more likely to achieve them. Making a goal choosing SMART, we can determine the Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound to develop a reasonable goal.
Making decisions is really much more complicated than it seems. When I make decisions, my Id, Ego, and Superego decide my fate. Unfortunately for me, my Id wins far too often, as I often do not study enough. Other personality traits, such as my tendency to over-think and analyze too many things, also play a role. This can influence my other behaviors by making me seem cold and distant with others because I’m too busy thinking. My self-concept is also important.
One aspect I found striking was the role of advice giving in counseling. Prior to this class, I knew that counselors did not typically give opinions or advice to lead a client in a certain direction. What I did not know was the entire reasoning behind this. A counselor might avoid giving advice so that a client learns to make his/her own decisions, does not become dependent on the counselor, and to ensure that a client will not later blame the counselor if the counselor’s advice did not turn out well. In this context, I have a better appreciation and understanding of why therapists refrain from telling the client what to do.
In a moment an unwise choice can completely derail your best developed goals or rather a wise decision can get you out of the murkiest of situations with ease. Now making a choice comes with responsibilities. The choices you make will affect not only you but also the people around you. At a personal level the things which drive our decisions are our emotions, our memories and our reasoning. At an organisational level it is always weighed according to the pros and cons of the decision.
As far back as I can remember, I have been raised around good Christian people with good Christian values. I felt safe in church, knowing that most of the families I had connected with had the same set of values and beliefs that I was educated on throughout my life. Learning what I have in