Spiritual Development Archives | Loma Linda Christian Counseling

Bible Verses About Marriage: Characteristics of a Godly Union

Bible Verses About Marriage: Characteristics of a Godly Union

Joanna Kucherera2024-09-28T12:00:05+00:00August 23rd, 2023|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development|

Getting married is a huge commitment and whether a marriage is a happy and thriving one depends on different factors. There has been a significant shift in marriage in recent decades with some people questioning the necessity and relevance of marriage. There are many relevant Bible verses about marriage that may be applied. The length of a marriage is not necessarily proof of a happy and thriving marriage. Yet when couples divorce within a few years of getting married, it can be proof that something has gone fundamentally wrong. Christian couples should endeavor to have long and happy marriages. The chances of achieving this are high if they involve God from the very beginning of their marriages. Bible Verses about Marriage Marriage is a relationship involving two people. The direction it takes depends on the spouses’ willingness and ability to work together for a common purpose: a long and happy marriage. Here are Bible verses to help us understand God’s will for marriage. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? – 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, NIV One of the most important things of which to be mindful is to look for someone with whom you are compatible. Compatibility in thiscontext does not imply sameness. Instead, it connotes the sharing of similar values, principles, beliefs and most importantly the ability to reach amicable agreements when differences arise. Most people have different views on topics like finances, parenting styles, and setting boundaries with extended family members. These are topics that most couples often face. If you marry someone to whom you are not equally yoked in [...]

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Women’s Insecurities: Substituting Worry for Peace and Laughter

Women’s Insecurities: Substituting Worry for Peace and Laughter

Valeria Arias, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:40:03+00:00August 21st, 2023|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Spiritual Development, Women’s Issues|

Many women will admit to struggling with insecurities. The ageless question of “Am I enough?” can plague a woman’s mental and emotional wellbeing. As difficult as it is to deal with these women’s insecurities, living in the age of social media only adds fuel to the fire. Women deal with a society that flaunts its successes and either hides or ridicules people’s mistakes. This adds to the pressures of living up to vague and intangible ideals. Areas of women’s insecurities. A woman may struggle with insecurities in many areas. They affect fears for her personal safety and concerns about her social status, relationships, or sense of self. She may wonder whether the people around her accept her or secretly judge her appearance or actions. This will affect the way she views herself, how she dresses, the way she behaves, what she shares on social media, and so much more. These issues aren’t only isolated to women, but many women find themselves struggling with one or several of the following insecurities. Identity issues. The question “Who am I?” is a perennial one in women’s insecurities. A woman often finds herself asking what roles she should occupy in a turbulent culture. Loud voices on one side say she should pursue radical independence coupled with sexual freedom, career and professional achievement. Other voices are urging the pursuit of more traditional roles. There is enormous pressure to do it all, and there’s no shortage of ideas about what that means. Many women juggle career and family in an impossible circus act that leaves them emotionally and mentally worn out. There is much internal and external pressure to be the perfect mom, lover, or friend, even though this is not achievable. Society sends women mixed messages, which can lead to a deep sense of [...]

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Practical Ways to Combat Loneliness in Motherhood

Practical Ways to Combat Loneliness in Motherhood

Valeria Arias, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:40:21+00:00July 22nd, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development, Women’s Issues|

Motherhood alters your identity. No longer are you an individual, only responsible for your needs, wants, and whims. As a mother, you become responsible for another person and everything he or she needs. That includes physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well as teaching them how to grow. That is a big responsibility, and one liable to loneliness. Handling this responsibility paired with the effects of shifting your entire identity can be challenging. Many times, it leaves moms feeling lonely. This loneliness is not necessarily indicative of being alone (although that can be part of it), but it stems from the isolation many women feel as they walk through this process. If you are a mother experiencing loneliness, you should know that you are not alone. Many women feel the same way. This loneliness is not inevitable. There are simple, practical things you can do to combat loneliness. But first, you need to understand it. Are moms really lonely? Identifying and understanding loneliness in moms is challenging because it often seems like moms are never actually alone. But we cannot equate loneliness with whether there are other people around you. Loneliness is more of a feeling than a physical presence. Loneliness stems from a gap that people feel between the connection and support they desire and what they perceive having in their actual life. It is the feelings associated with this gap that create and breed loneliness. For moms, this gap can be felt for a variety of reasons: Constant caring for children. Juggling caring for children with work. Feeling overwhelmed. Lacking time to connect with other people on a meaningful level. Exhaustion limiting ability to connect with people. Struggling to find people that they can connect with. In a Harvard study from 2020, 51% of moms with [...]

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Moving from Unrighteous Anger to Righteous Anger: Bible Verses About Anger

Moving from Unrighteous Anger to Righteous Anger: Bible Verses About Anger

Kate Motaung2024-11-07T12:09:10+00:00July 7th, 2023|Anger Issues, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development|

Do you experience righteous or unrighteous anger? When you experience anger, it shapes how you relate to it and how you act when you’re angry. Having an angry parent that acts out can provide an unhealthy blueprint for how to deal with anger when you grow up. Thankfully, that blueprint isn’t something you’re destined to follow; it’s possible to overcome what’s been modeled for you and deal with life’s circumstances in a healthy way, with the help of these Bible verses about anger. For some people, anger is a part of themselves that they keep shut away from public view. This may be because they struggle to deal with conflict, or because they fear what may happen if they get angry and let that anger loose. One possible result of holding anger back in this way is that it can affect their mental and physical health, and that’s to say nothing of the resentment toward others that often accompanies repressed anger. For others, their anger is often in full view, and they hold nothing back. When they are angry, everyone knows it. Perhaps they regret the things they’ve said and done in anger, or they may feel justified for giving full vent to their anger and see nothing wrong with expressing that anger in colorful ways. Typically, venting your anger can cause you to say and do hurtful things, compromising or even breaking relationships. Your relationship with anger may color how you read Bible verses about anger; maybe it strikes you as odd that God gets angry because you see anger as an evil thing. Perhaps being told to control your anger seems like an impossible command – one that you feel stifles a part of your identity. Bible Verses About Anger Whatever your history and relationship with anger, [...]

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5 Bible Verses to Combat Fear

5 Bible Verses to Combat Fear

Kate Motaung2024-11-07T12:10:12+00:00May 19th, 2023|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Spiritual Development|

We live in frightening times, although likely no more so than previously in history. Life on this side of heaven will always have an element of fear, and God knows this. He also makes it clear in His Word that the way to combat fear is to look to him, relying not on our own strength, but in the strength that He gives us for every situation we face. If you find yourself consumed with anxiety, spend time meditating and reflecting on the following Bible verses to combat fear: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10, NIV God acknowledges that we will face fear, but He also commands us to not give in to the feeling of fear. The reason we can do this is because He provides us with the strength and help we need; he takes us by the hand and lifts us. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff; they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4, NIV Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the most popular Psalms, with Bible verses about fear that have encouraged Christians throughout the centuries. When we are feeling overwhelmed by tough circumstances, we can affirm the words of the Psalmist: God is with us to combat fear, and, just like fearful sheep rely on their shepherd to guide them, we too can lean on our great Shepherd, who knows all our needs. The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom [...]

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