Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Abandonment Issues and Neglect
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and loss Counseling
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Personal Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • PTSD
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sex And Porn Addiction
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Christian Counseling for Children
        and Teens
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Sex And Porn Addiction
  • LocationsChoose from our variety of office locations
    • Anacortes 1Anacortes
    • Bellevue
    • Bothell 8Bothell
    • Bellevue Christian Counseling 1Edmonds
    • Everett 8Everett
    • Federal Way
    • Kent 2Kent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    •  1Mill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor Office OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    •  1Puyallup
    • Redmond 3Redmond
    • Seattle Ballard 6Seattle Ballard
    •  1Seattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake 10Seattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • Tacoma 6Tacoma
    •  1Spokane
    • Spokane ValleySpokane Valley
    • Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind the best counselor for your needs
  • CareersBecome an affiliated Christian counselor
  • (425) 939-6856Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

A Christian Counselor’s View on Why Faith is Risk Rather than Rest

Bellevue Christian Counseling
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/a-christian-counselors-view-on-why-faith-is-risk-rather-than-rest-4.jpg 1024 683
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bellevue.jpg
https://bellevuechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-cropped-seattle-logo.png
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
330 112th Ave NE, Suite 302
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
United States
Photo of Chris Chandler

Chris Chandler

Jul
2014
29

A Christian Counselor’s View on Why Faith is Risk Rather than Rest

Chris Chandler

By Chris Chandler, MA, LMHC, CSAT-C, Seattle Christian Counseling

Balancing ActPeople often think of faith as danger-free. Nothing can harm or frighten you if you trust God. As any martyr’s biography can tell you, this is not true. Living is inherently risky. Faith does not change that. You could almost say faith makes facing life’s risks even more challenging. Addiction is confidence in something with which you can immediately comfort yourself. Faith is confidence that the unseen may work out in your favor. (Hebrews 11:1) You know that bottle of wine will make you feel better immediately. God’s plan does not have the same instantaneous effect. In this article I will discuss my view as a Christian counselor on why Faith is a risk but one that is worth taking.

Faith as a Risk

This is why it can be so difficult for addicts to trust God instead of the source of their addiction. Relying on an addiction is like hoping an hourglass won’t eventually run out of sand. For a while it seems to be holding up, but it always runs out in the end. But it is certain for a while. Faith is rarely certain. It’s why C.S. Lewis has Mr. Badger say of Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

Aslan, like the all-powerful creator he’s meant to represent is unpredictable and just, but he does what he does to ensure the best interests of his believers. Even if it does not seem like it at the time.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

Faith as a Homecoming

Like the prodigal son in Luke 15, addicts want to feel good. Their current circumstances do not provide restful contentment, so they go looking elsewhere. Unfortunately, they tend to gravitate toward intense, fleeting pleasures. The burst of gratification offers the fulfillment they crave, but it does not last. They keep at it– trying to assuage the emptiness with brief bursts of fulfillment. Eventually, trying to feel good becomes too difficult. They look for a new solution.

This is why Dr. Gerald May refers to abandoning addiction in favor of faith and sobriety as a “homecoming” in his book Addiction & Grace. As the prodigal son realized, there is no security like a loving parent. Addicts find the same is true when they begin to satisfy their longing for God in God, rather than the source of their addiction.

Why Faith is Worth the Risk

CHA Hebrews Eleven Verse OneBut why should you take the leap of faith when you already have something you know will make you feel better? Because addiction cannot offer you anything other than short-term relief. Addiction is a crutch. You need it because you cannot, or will not, find the strength to face life’s difficulties standing on your own two feet. But you cannot go on like this forever. You will begin to lean so heavily on the crutch of addiction that snaps under you.

While some secular cynics may mock faith as a crutch, think of it instead as a guy wire, like those acrobats use to perform on a high wire. You do not need it to accomplish what you are doing, but it comforts and encourages you to know it is there in case you stumble. Professing Christian and seventh-generation acrobat, Nik Wallenda (who has walked high wires unaided across Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon) says faith is about trusting God to bless his work, not testing him, “To test God would be to never train, never practice, and then to walk across the Grand Canyon.”

Addiction traps you where you are. But faith pushes you toward growth and self-determination. It’s like the old Protestant work ethic, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” Yes, God often blesses us in ways we never anticipated or imagined, but it is usually after we have given him something to work with.

Christian Counseling for Addiction

If you are fearful you cannot handle life without your addiction, consider getting in touch with a professional Christian counselor. They can help you figure out which aspects of your life keep you so dependent on your addiction, and help you find healthier alternatives. A professional Christian counselor will use therapeutic techniques and biblical principles to help you trust yourself and trust God.

Photos

Provided by Flickr CreativeCommon:  “Balancing Act,” courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski (CC BY-SA 2.0); “Hebrews Eleven Verse One,” courtesy of Jonathan Lin (CC BY-SA 2.0)

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top
Photo of Chris Chandler
Schedule with Chris
  • Appointment Info

  • Your Info

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Chris Chandler

Licensed Counselor and Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist
(425) 533-0007 chrisc@bellevuechristiancounseling.com

Have you ever struggled with doubt, failure, or addiction? I have, and I know that redemption is possible through Christ. My hope for you is to find healing and wholeness. I’m honored to use my experiences and faith to help you reclaim and fortify your life though faith-based counseling. Whatever you’ve been through, I offer you a safe and understanding place where you can find your path to freedom. Together, we can discover lasting and positive change though the love, mercy, and grace of Christ. Read more articles by Chris »

Other articles that might interest you...

spacer
Bellevue Christian Counseling

Why Children’s Counseling?

As you decorate a child’s room with art at their eye level, age appropriate toys, and child sized furniture, so...

continue reading »
A Christian Counselor’s Perspective on Christian Counseling
Photo of Erik Mildes

Erik Mildes

A Christian Counselor’s Perspective ...

People often ask me what “Christian counseling” means and what does it looks like. Many clients wonder if it means...

continue reading »
spacer

About Chris

Photo of Chris Chandler

Chris Chandler, MA, LMHC, CSAT

Licensed Counselor and Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist

Have you ever struggled with doubt, failure, or addiction? I have, and I know that redemption is possible through Christ. My hope for you is to find healing and wholeness. I’m honored to use my experiences and faith to help you reclaim and fortify your life though faith-based counseling. Whatever you’ve been through, I offer you a safe and understanding place where you can find your path to freedom. Together, we can discover lasting and positive change though the love, mercy, and grace of Christ. View Chris's Profile

Recent articles by Chris

  • Dec 23 · Stronger Self-Esteem Through Vulnerability
  • Dec 22 · Replacing Shame with Authenticity
  • Nov 25 · Letting Go of Fear
See all articles by Chris »

Chris's Office Locations

  • Photo of the Online (WA only) office

    Online (WA only)

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (206) 388-3929
    444 Northeast Ravenna Boulevard Seattle, WA 98115

    View Office Details

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Bellevue Christian Counseling Logo
Bellevue Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors experienced in helping people of all ages find healing for a wide variety of issues.
© 2023 Bellevue Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
330 112th Ave NE,, Bellevue, WA 98004. Tel (425) 939-6856.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
COVID-19 Service Update: We are still open for business. In office and online counseling is available if needed.