Journal of Biblical Counseling

The articles in this issue remind Monroe of the difference between what Scripture says about our suffering and how it is depicted in the Disney movies of her childhood. Not all wrongs are made right in this life, nor is there a happily ever after; yet we know with certainty that our Prince will return, and he will put everything in his kingdom to rights. It’s worth the wait.

People experiencing chaotic emotions have their daily lives disrupted by feeling the wrong emotion, feeling the wrong amount of emotion, and feeling it for the wrong length of time. Using the biblical pattern of chaos, order, and rest, Stryd helps us understand and care for people who suffer with this difficulty. He illustrates his recommendations using a case study.

Sadly, only a fraction of families impacted by disability attend church. Based on his own family’s experience, McCraney believes this is not due to a lack of accessibility or programming but due to people’s unrecognized and flawed heart beliefs about disabilities. He offers insights into these beliefs and suggests ways that churches can become more welcoming. This is essential reading for pastors.

Emlet describes several common thinking patterns shared by people who struggle with OCD including inflated responsibility, overestimation of threat, and perfectionism. These patterns can create debilitating anxiety, but Emlet offers a note of hope for Christians. Below the surface of these patterns, he says, are flawed beliefs about God, ourselves, and the world. He describes how Scripture speaks to these beliefs and how counseling can foster a growing trust in God, who is greater than all our fears.

The biblical metaphor of exile is useful in counseling people who feel rejected and ostracized. Whitman describes various Old Testament experiences of exile, building to how the metaphor captures Jesus’s story. Her goal is to show how exile offers a way for counselees to find words for their experiences and see that what they are facing is not outside the Bible’s purview. She illustrates this with a case example. 

Most people do not list shame as a presenting issue when they enter counseling, but it is often there, hiding under struggles such as depression and anxiety. Liu describes three areas of inquiry that can help identify and address shame in people who come to you for help.

In this volume of “Book Notes,” Gembola reviews six books that cover topics such as singleness, chronic pain, family discipleship, single parenting, and ministry to families in crisis.

Purchase the print or digital edition of the Journal of Biblical Counseling 39:1.