Beware of The Pharisees’ Counsel

There are biblical counselors, elders, or pastors who will order you not to be anxious about anything because Paul says so in Philippians 4. 

They will order you not to worry because Jesus said not to worry in Matthew 6:25. 

They will tell you never to be angry because that’s what it says in Ephesians 4. 

They will tell you to be joyful about your trials because James supposedly says so in James 1.

They will tell you to rejoice in your suffering because that’s what Paul says in Romans 5. 

And then they will tell you not to be concerned about what your abuser does to you but only be concerned about your own heart because in Matthew 7 Jesus says to check the log in your own eye. 

What these counselors do is weigh you down with heavier and impossible burdens. You become more weighted down and pushed deeper into misery because God is angrier with you for being anxious, worried, angry, and not enjoying your suffering. 

Here’s the problem – these people turn God’s words of help and encouragement into rules and laws. And their remedy is for you to be ashamed in order to repent the right way. And these counselors rip those verses out of context and twist what they mean. 

Worry is a burden but Jesus wasn’t condemning people for worrying. He was offering words of comfort and encouragement by telling them there are great reasons not to worry. 

Anxiety is a burden but Paul isn’t adding another burdensome law. He’s encouraging Christians with how one need not be anxious and offers one way to address it. 

Trials are burdensome but we can rejoice because of what God can produce in us through them. 
And on it goes. 

They are like Pharisees who weigh you down with heavier and impossible burdens. They ignore the reality of Jesus’ good news for you. He experienced anxiety, anger, suffering, and trials like you. He died on the cross to pay for your failures and sins. He was raised in new life to give you life. He ascended so you are forever in union with him. He sent the Spirit to empower you to live his life in you.

Those admonitions flow from Christ’s mercy, grace, and love. Those admonitions are there to encourage you, enrich you, to bless you and give you peace. 

So, the moment you encounter a counselor, elder, pastor, or any other person who tells you the answer to your burdens is more burdens, the resolution to your problems is more rules, and the solution is to focus on your sins, get up, walk out, and shake the dust off your shoes.