Counseling- Once again, we regard counseling as a Spirit-given gift from God. This is about right and wrong, as well as correct judgment. It serves as an internal compass for both you and your customers. This knowledge pertains to spiritual matters such as knowing God, his laws, and revelation.
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What does the Bible say about the gift of counsel?
Counsel is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence, and it is the third of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah 11:2-3. While prudence, like the other cardinal virtues, can be exercised by anyone, whether or not they are in a state of grace, it can be elevated to a supernatural level through sanctifying grace. The result of this supernatural caution is counsel.
Counsel, like prudence, permits us to correctly determine what we should do in a given situation. However, it goes beyond caution in allowing such decisions to be made quickly, “as if by a sort of spiritual intuition,” as Fr. John A. Hardon says in his Modern Catholic Dictionary. When we are infused with the Holy Spirit's gifts, we respond instinctively to the Holy Spirit's promptings.
Why is counsel a gift of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit's third gift, counsel, is the culmination of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence is something that anybody can do, but counsel is something that only God can provide. We are able to evaluate the optimal course of action almost instinctively thanks to the Holy Spirit's gift.
Is the Holy Spirit called the counselor?
“I'll ask the Father, and he'll send you another advocate, the Spirit of truth, to assist you and be with you forever.” Revelation 14:16-17
Jesus reveals a bombshell as he spends his final meal with his disciples, only hours before his betrayal and death: he is going to leave his people behind. However, Jesus assures them that he would not desert them and will instead supply them with a counselor or “advocate.”
The Greek word paraklete, which Jesus used here, referred to a person who came to Jesus' aid amid a legal crisis. “Counselor,” “advocate,” “comforter,” “intercessor,” “strengthener,” and “standby” are some of the translations. The Holy Spirit is the promised advocate or counselor.
The promise of the Holy Spirit made by Jesus is extremely comforting. His supporters aren't the only ones who believe in him. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide his people even though he is not physically there. The Holy Spirit is also sent by Jesus to guide them into truth. So, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost, he did so not on his own, but was sent by the Father and the Son to live in them and assist them in serving the risen Lord Jesus. “If you love me, observe my commands,” Jesus has given the Holy Spirit an essential proviso.
Are you following Jesus' words and commands? If you haven't already, repent and turn to him. If that's the case, lean on the Counselor's power in your life today, relax in him, and let him lead you in your walk with Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, for sending the Holy Spirit. May he serve as a counselor and comforter in our lives as we strive to obey you today and always. Amen.