Posts Tagged: John 14:6

“My Jesus-Life as a Therapist and Friend”

On January 30, 2022 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

To start my day, I often read snippets from addiction recovery books published by Hazelden. Today’s excerpt from Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey (© 1982, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation), began with a provocative epigraph by Karen Horney:

“Fortunately [psycho]analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts. Life itself still remains a very effective therapist.”

I was thinking of life as a therapist, but my mind quickly jumped to life as a friend. The reason I made this leap was because of something I read many years ago. I can’t remember the source, but here is the quote as I remember it: “A therapist is a paid friend.”

Now, don’t misunderstand. This statement is deeply problematic. Paying someone to be your friend doesn’t sound terribly noble or helpful. In fact, it sounds more than a little demeaning to both therapists and clients. I have benefited greatly from years of therapy, though I am not currently seeing a therapist. However, while I have two good friends who are therapists, I do not conflate the roles of therapist and friend.

However, thinking of life as combining the roles of therapist and friend—and life performing those dual roles free of charge—that might work. So, I ask myself (and you) the following: What would happen if I/we stopped thinking of life as a puzzle or a struggle, and I/we began to think of life as a therapist and friend.

Hummm . . .

There’s an old rock and roll song that advises us to “hang on to our (your) life.” Perhaps it would be better to let go of our lives and listen to them. Maybe, as with other good friends, we could relax with life and be ourselves. We might begin cherishing our life more—just as it is. After all, we do this with our other fellow-human friends. We cherish them when they’re up and when they’re down. We love them with all their faults, and they love us with all our faults.

I suspect that what I’ve written so far is true, no matter what your religious beliefs (or unbeliefs) are. However, for the Christ-follower this has another dimension. Jesus claimed to be life, as well as being the truth and the road we need to travel (John 14:6). The one who follows Christ follows Life itself. And this Life is indeed a very helpful therapist.

Oh, and one thing more! Jesus not only claimed to be the Life. He also promised to be with his followers all their lives. Furthermore, he promised that they would be with him forever in his Father’s kingdom. If this is true—and rest assured, it does take some faith to believe that it is true—the one who seamlessly combines the roles of friend and therapist will never desert us. Not in this life, nor in the next. Jesus has your back as you go through your life-therapy and make friends with life.

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