A new job at the right of a fork in the road, a significant life juncture prompting you to carry on an expected role, a new chapter in which you end a relationship - some moments are more meaningful than others. Every day, the choice remains to choose life or death, and yet there are vital moments all of us can look back on with more gravity and sobriety. This counseling practice marks a new beginning of sorts. When God does something new, it is worth considering - how did he lead me here? What was my role in this process? Prayerful self-examination - what a foreign luxury in this fast-paced, hyper-entertainment culture. Convenience can breed impatience, as we all know - how often do we over-scan texts looking for bitesize practical applications? Do we increase the speed of YouTube podcasts for reasons other than making the most of time? Over-commit to tasks? Under commit to Bible reading? So, because this is a launching point in my life, I'd like you to glimpse how God has led me to this new beginning. I'd also like to extend an invitation to reflect on the most important starting for any Christian to examine prayerfully…

Early in my counseling career in community mental health, God gave me a vision to open my practice. But what would I name this practice, Lord? It was then that I came across this scripture, "Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again." (John 4:13-14, ESV). And then this scripture, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:38). These passages jumped off the page and crash-landed into a soft part of my heart. Living Waters would be the name.

But yet, this fuzzy, pixelated dream of starting my practice came into focus only after a series of troubles. Revelation is surely a process. Work grew weary. The restlessness in my Spirit around the mish-mash of secular therapies intensified as I questioned the sufficiency of these approaches. Would an eclectic set of therapy approaches be the best remedy for suffering and sin? Sometimes, I felt boxed in by my training; I felt stymied in sharing the Gospel or guiding people to Christ, so God brought these questions front and center. How can I counsel when I don't believe in what I'm selling? Why aren’t believers considering God’s word in there issues?

Somewhat confused, I became bent on getting all the education I could to help people. "If I had more training in these evidence-based therapies, I would be on track!" During one training, I saw this very esteemed cognitive behavioral expert share his Buddhist beliefs, and in the course of talking about suffering, he called out Christians who would guide someone with cancer to Christ. His point is that scripture gets you so far, and those who do not believe need more; they need his wisdom, strongly derived from his Buddhist worldview. My soul groaned because I fundamentally disagreed and realized I did not want to be so strongly mentored by a person who considered an abundant life to be on any other path but the one Jesus offered - Himself.

Through a series of visions and answered prayers, God led me to a different church that offered training for biblical counseling. God connected me to a wise and loving biblical counselor who helped encourage me with God's truth. Lots of wrestling occurred there, and those doubts deepened my understanding of scripture. During this season, God reminded me of a critical moment in my graduate studies. I remembered biblical counseling as an option, and then I acutely remember scoffing at the simplicity of it when I read the chapter title on biblical counseling. Rejectedly, I mindlessly skimmed through the chapter to fulfill the course's reading requirement.

Confirmation after confirmation from the Lord ensued. And I realized I was delaying God's plan for my life. I started rejecting this hidden assumption: when things are just right in my circumstances, knowledge, experience, and walk - then I will be obedient. So, fast forward some months later, and I was checking off the to-dos to start Living Waters Counsel. I committed to the next step forward, knowing more intimately how sweeter obedience is.

So, what is the most essential beginning we must continually reflect on as believers? Our birth as new creations in Christ - the Gospel. Jesus promised hearts flowing with living water - new hearts only made alive by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There are undoubtedly many remedies for physical thirst, but there is only one solution to satisfy our spiritual thirst. The Samaritan woman at the well recognized her spiritual need. What good would water do when this woman did not know how thirsty she really was? Christ drew her towards Himself and exposed her soul's thirst. Christ accomplished many things in this brief exchange, and we would do well to remember the Gospel's sweetness in every season.

Perhaps you feel aimless, "I don't know where to go." Maybe you are disheartened by the fact that God wants you to stay where you are or upset at the end of something you thought would be a rosy beginning. Wherever you are, may I remind you that God has wisdom for you, and your circumstances cannot measure his love for you. He sees your pain and knows the path for you. His love for the Samaritan woman showed itself in many ways - he humbly asked her for water, bridging the gap between Jews and Samaritans, he listened, he reminded her of her need, gently corrected her false beliefs, he prophesied using the Spirit's gifts, he acknowledged good in her, he was physically close to her when she was likely ashamed, he gave her practical advice to tell others, he defended her, encouraged her.
This is the God we get to love back.

God wants to remind us of how invaluable the Gospel is for every stage of life. God led me to consider not just the name of my practice; he was guiding me toward his well again. He was using this hunger and thirst within me for his good purposes: to ask better questions, to seek counsel from others, and to be obedient without revelation. His vision for you may start fuzzy, but it will come into focus as you seek Him. As you steady yourself in his word, as you continue to pray, as you continue to draw near to Him, perhaps feeling nothing at all, you are choosing to trust Him, and he will draw near to you. Christ has demonstrated just how trustworthy he is through the cross. He foretold his suffering and death to his disciples on multiple occasions. The Old Testament is teeming with prophecies of the coming Messiah. So, you can be assured that He is worth approaching. He is trustworthy. And he is already near! Living waters are already flowing through your veins.

Seasoned believer and writer Milton Vincent affirms the centrality of the Gospel, "Over time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced." Why is it essential to think about the Gospel? The Gospel can help us remember key attributes of God - he is relational, loving, merciful, righteous, and faithful (to name a few). When we consider the Gospel, we become more grateful. Gospel meditation fosters reverence. The cross hacks away at our pride, humbling us and exposing our dependency on him. The Gospel can remind us of our new life in him; now, this is something to cling to. Christ's death, burial, and resurrection were a triumphant achievement. Recall God's persistent love in your life, and when all thoughts fail, relationships disappoint, and plans fold inwards like a house of cards on your very own lap - remember the Gospel brought you a new beginning, a new Spirit, a new identity, freedom from enslavement to sin, victory, a new family, a family made perfect in the kingdom to come.

Ponder

Am I making enough time to reflect on what God has done in my life to consider the Gospel? What barriers can I remove prayerfully to make more time for this practice?In what ways do my thoughts lack the fragrance of life? (self-condemnation, resentment, mindlessness, blaming, mumbling, self-absorption, fearing man, etc.)How has the Gospel impacted my life and other believers' lives? (Thought life, physically, emotionally, your relationships, attitude, values, and how daily activities are done)When was the last time I shared the Gospel with someone?What does God want me to eliminate in my life that could sweeten my fellowship with Him? Is it possible that God has already answered your questions and you are seeking a different answer?Is there an area of my prayer life I have given up on due to fear, hopelessness, defeat, etc? What is it, and how might I commit myself to persevering?How might thinking about Christ's resurrection and ascension give hope to myself or another brother or sister in Christ?

Practice

Journal your answers to the questions above as if you were talking to God.Write down and enact an action plan for making more time to meditate on the Gospel and God's promises, but make them realistic and specific. For example, when you get into the car 3/5 days this week, keep the radio turned off for the length of a song and think about God's costly love.Share the Gospel with someone! Perhaps you could make or buy a gospel tract or strike up a conversation with someone new at work, invite them to church to hear the Gospel.Pray for God to send you people to share the Gospel with and to give you the boldness to share this good news.Memorize Romans 1:16.Spend 5-10 minutes sharing your hopes, dreams, and disappointments with God/trusted believers.Devote 5 minutes thanking God for the Gospel - who he is in light of the Gospel and who you are in light of the Gospel. Set an alarm in the morning reminding you to pray for a filling of the Spirit, freshness of the Spirit, and the gifting of the Spirit in your life and your local church's life.

PrayerLoving Father,

Your heart is for the lost and you are near the broken. We are sorry for not considering the fullness of the gospel. We often have many reasons not to do what you told us. We avoid looking at our sins. We focus on other’s sins. Often, we live in condemnation not trusting what your cross accomplished. You died for the whole world. Your option for eternal life was given to all. And yet you chose us before the foundation of the world. We are thankful you have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. You are for life! And you have made a way to live forever. There will be a time when the pain will desist, and we will not shed tears from our brokenness or sinfulness. Trauma will be a thing of the past, and we will shine gloriously in your kingdom. You loved us first. You smile upon us. You want to be the center of our universe because you know it will lead to spiritual fruit and lasting joy. We’re thankful you don’t leave us on the road, you are with us and will see us to the end. You know the end from the beginning. And sometimes you answer our questions with “it is not for you to know.” May we be humble to your word. May you open our eyes to your beauty. Would you remind us to look beyond our circumstances? Help us draw near to you when we would instead choose shame and run. Give us hope. You are our hope. Thank you for the cross and your Spirit. We need a fresh filling every second! Heal the hidden wounds. Calm our hearts when we fear speaking boldly your gospel truth. Help us number our days and entrust everything to you. Please help us serve when we want to be served. Please remind us to bring our pain to you first. Let your gospel be proclaimed now and bring revival in our neighborhoods. In Jesus’ name, amen.