Order from Chaos: When a Bad Marriage Gets Worse

When a counselor works with a couple in a seemingly hopelessly broken marriage, it seems to be an impossible task. How should a counselor respond? In this article, Tim Lane and Paul Tripp provide a model (based on Jeremiah 17:5-10) for life change that counselors can use. Using a case study, Lane and Tripp show how to analyze the presenting situation in terms of the heat (the situation) and the fruit in the situation (sinful reactions). The model then shows how change takes place through Christ. They conclude that with critical heart change, Christ brings new identity to a struggler’s life.