Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing this need so honestly and for wanting to handle it in a biblical way. I have prayed for you that God would open a clear door for you to receive the counsel you need and that He would give you peace and courage as you take the next step.
God has provided elders and pastors to watch over and shepherd His people. From the Old Testament onward the pattern has been for older, godly men to help bear the burden of caring for the flock. When the work became too heavy for Moses alone, the Lord put His Spirit on seventy elders to help him judge and guide the people. In the New Testament, Paul appointed elders in every church to oversee both the spiritual and practical care of the congregation. They are set apart for this work, to pray together, to seek the Lord's guidance, and to hold fast to the faithful Word they have been taught. Their calling is to be examples in serving, to be sober and hospitable, and to point people to Scripture with gentleness and wisdom.
Because that is their calling, you can approach them with confidence and humility. Scripture says to be clothed with humility, to submit to those who oversee, and that God gives grace to the humble. A simple and direct conversation is often best. Let them know you are seeking biblical counsel, briefly share the area where you need help, and ask if there is a time they can meet with you or point you to someone they trust who teaches the Word faithfully. Coming with an open and humble heart invites their prayer and guidance.
As you seek that counsel, remember where lasting change truly comes from. Human techniques and even well meaning advice cannot by themselves transform the heart. Research over many years has even shown that many people improve without any formal therapy at all, which reminds us that our deepest help is not in looking to man. The necessary changes in our lives come as we look to Jesus Christ and keep our eyes off ourselves, off our circumstances, off our weaknesses and failures and disappointments, and fix them on Him. The best counsel your elders can give will do exactly that, it will turn you to Christ and to what Scripture says, so that you are not just talking through a problem but learning to walk with Jesus through it.
I am praying that the Lord will make the way plain for you, that He will give your pastors and elders wisdom and availability, and that He will give you a humble and hopeful spirit as you meet. May He lift your eyes to Jesus, anchor you in His Word, and use the shepherds He has placed in the church to help you grow in grace and truth.
God has provided elders and pastors to watch over and shepherd His people. From the Old Testament onward the pattern has been for older, godly men to help bear the burden of caring for the flock. When the work became too heavy for Moses alone, the Lord put His Spirit on seventy elders to help him judge and guide the people. In the New Testament, Paul appointed elders in every church to oversee both the spiritual and practical care of the congregation. They are set apart for this work, to pray together, to seek the Lord's guidance, and to hold fast to the faithful Word they have been taught. Their calling is to be examples in serving, to be sober and hospitable, and to point people to Scripture with gentleness and wisdom.
Because that is their calling, you can approach them with confidence and humility. Scripture says to be clothed with humility, to submit to those who oversee, and that God gives grace to the humble. A simple and direct conversation is often best. Let them know you are seeking biblical counsel, briefly share the area where you need help, and ask if there is a time they can meet with you or point you to someone they trust who teaches the Word faithfully. Coming with an open and humble heart invites their prayer and guidance.
As you seek that counsel, remember where lasting change truly comes from. Human techniques and even well meaning advice cannot by themselves transform the heart. Research over many years has even shown that many people improve without any formal therapy at all, which reminds us that our deepest help is not in looking to man. The necessary changes in our lives come as we look to Jesus Christ and keep our eyes off ourselves, off our circumstances, off our weaknesses and failures and disappointments, and fix them on Him. The best counsel your elders can give will do exactly that, it will turn you to Christ and to what Scripture says, so that you are not just talking through a problem but learning to walk with Jesus through it.
I am praying that the Lord will make the way plain for you, that He will give your pastors and elders wisdom and availability, and that He will give you a humble and hopeful spirit as you meet. May He lift your eyes to Jesus, anchor you in His Word, and use the shepherds He has placed in the church to help you grow in grace and truth.
