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Why You Should Get Financial Counseling
By Keith Rawlinson
Volunteer Budget Counselor

Many people think that financial counseling is for those who are in financial trouble.  Well, it is for people in trouble, but it's for everyone else too.  Getting out of trouble is not the only reason for getting financial counseling; in fact, getting out of trouble is only the first step to a better financial future.  Once the financial problems are dealt with and under control, it is then time to start saving, investing, planning, buying things and building wealth. So, financial counseling is not only a tool for dealing with problems and getting out of debt, it is also a way of gaining the knowledge and techniques you will need to use your money wisely and make it grow.

To gain further understanding of God's perspective, let's see what the Bible has to say about the subject of counseling:

Why we should get counseling.

Listen to counsel and accept discipline that you may be wise the rest of your days.  Prov.  19:20
This verse tells us that getting counseling is a way to be wise for the rest of your days.  It doesn't say that counseling is for getting you out of a current problem or bad situation, it says that counseling leads to lifelong wisdom.  So, the first reason to get counseling is so that we can be wise.

Without counsel, plans go awry.  But in the multitude of counselors they are established.  Prov. 15:22
This verse tells us that getting counsel is a powerful way of giving our plans a good chance to succeed.  It doesn't say "immediate plans," it just says "plans."  That's because we are always going to have things in our lives for which we are striving, financial or otherwise; thus, we will always have plans that we want to see succeed.  There's the second reason for getting counseling--if we don't, our plans will likely fail.  If we do, our plans will likely succeed.

He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.  Prov. 13:18
Here is a very good reason for getting counseling--it is a very good source of wisdom.  Counseling teaches you not only techniques, but also the discipline to apply them.  This verse clearly states that without discipline, we come to poverty.  It goes on to say that if we "heed correction," that is, listen to counsel, God will honor that effort.  So, this verse gives us another very good reason to get counseling--counseling teaches discipline and without discipline we will become poor.  Further, getting counseling will be honored by God Himself.

...by knowledge the rooms [of a house] are filled with precious and pleasant riches.  Prov. 24:4
This verse couldn't be more to the point when it comes to financial counseling.  Counseling is a source of knowledge, and knowledge helps us to become wealthy.  I don't believe that this verse is only talking about financial wealth; I think it is referring to other forms of wealth as well.

A couple of warnings.


Without counseling of some sort, be it personal one-on-one counseling or be it counseling in some other form, we are simply following our own ideas and nothing else.  God instructs us to get counsel.  We can get counsel in more than one way: by finding reliable sources on the Internet, reading books, listening to audio programs, or talking with a live counselor.  In the Bible, God clearly tells us how He regards people who are following their own ideas and not getting some form of counseling:
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who hears counsel is wise. Prov. 12:15
Plain and simple--if you are choosing to follow only your own ideas and are not seeking wise, godly counsel, you are a fool!  Don't get angry with me.  I didn't say it--God did!

Along those same lines is this direction from the Bible--make sure you are getting your advice from reliable, sound, godly sources.
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.  Prov. 13:20
If you hang around with, and take advice from, fools, you will end up getting hurt.  It may be financially, physically, spiritually or even emotionally, but you will end up getting hurt.  On the other hand, if you hang around with, and learn from, wise godly people who are knowledgeable about God's ways, you will become more wise yourself.

Conclusion.


I hope it is now clear that counseling is not just for getting out of trouble or dealing with a current problem.  Yes, counseling does do those things, but it also keeps you headed in the right direction afterwards.  The Bible clearly teaches that getting counseling helps us to become wealthy, wise, make good decisions, do things God's way, and have a good chance of succeeding.  The Bible also clearly teaches that if we go through life without wise counsel, then we are a fool!

Be wise, or be a fool--your choice.


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