One of the greatest advantages of being Christian Counselors is being able to look at all situations through a lens of hope.
Real hope.
Early on, and all throughout our schooling, we were always reminded of step number one—to instill hope. Every single couple we interact with, whether it’s in a session, a group, or simply on social media, will first and foremost be exposed to hope.
Hope is always the foundational piece of healing and wholeness.
I will never forget one of our very first couples many years ago. They both had a long history of abuse and trauma. They were dealing with addiction, pornography, adultery, and severe anxiety and depression. I remember this couple well, not because I was overwhelmed and concerned with how to help them. In fact, it was just the opposite. I remember getting excited because for the first time ever they were about to be exposed to hope—we knew they didn’t have it, but I knew we did.
Many couples we see feel hopeless, but the truth is, we don’t need couples to have hope when we start work with them because we are willing to share ours. We believe it is our job to share our hope with you and to keep standing in the gap holding onto it for as long as you need us to. Hope is much like a torch that ignites, and we gladly hold ours up for as long as it takes to get yours lit. Why? Because we know that hope is real, and that hope is alive.
We know real HOPE, and His name is Jesus, and that He too is standing in the gap with us.
Jesus is who anchors us as counselors, and He is who will anchor your marriage in the midst of the storm. So, even when that storm feels like it’s taking forever to pass, He can anchor you down for as long as needed—we fully trust that, and ultimately, we want you too as well. Whether you are struggling a little or have a suitcase packed by the door, your marriage is never hopeless.
Now is the time to make a decision to grab a hold of hope; because it is when you find that hope as a couple that you find the courage and strength to move forward—and how good it is to finally believe in what could be! With hope, you can trust the process, rely on God’s strength, and fully believe that He has good things to come, even if they arrive through painful processes.
Now, back to our first couple, God honored our pleas and the work they were willing to put in, to ultimately restore their marriage. He healed them both as individuals and as a married couple. It is with Him that nothing is impossible.
Restoration is God’s thing.
This is the same God that made us all out of dust. He raised the dead, and He redeemed our lives with the precious blood of His Son, He can certainly heal your marriage. If you’re believing that your marriage is hopeless, please know that it’s not. Get the help you need, trust in God’s plan, and be willing to do the work. Don’t allow your current pain to be the demise of your marriage, instead choose for it to be a launching pad into the marriage He’s always wanted you to have.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Expedition Marriage
Featured Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay
