Safe Places, Pharisees and Parking Lots!

“I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” Job 3:26, KJV. I believe a major part of my ministry as a pastoral counselor is creating a safe place for the people who come into my office. Many have never been to a counselor before and have a lot of fear and misgivings. Prayerfully, with the help of God I try to help people come to feel safe, secure, loved and accepted.

Interestingly, the English Standard Version translates that first phrase in Job 3:26, “I am not at ease…” A safe place is place where people can be at ease to open their hearts and pour out the weights, the burdens the hurts that have festered for years or even decades. We all have times we need a safe place where we can say what we have never said before.

Part of why my office is a safe place is legally as a licensed professional counselor I must maintain confidentiality. What is said here stays here.

Perhaps a larger reason it is a safe place is Biblical values. I see in Scripture the high importance of compassion, mercy, and acceptance. I see in Scripture that wonderful, godly people sometimes blow it in major ways (just think of David, Moses and Peter = an adulterer, 2 murderers and 2 liars)! Without condoning sin a pastoral counselor must accept people as they are – broken bearers of the image of God. (See my post "Are We Good, Bad, or Ugly?") We all need a place where we can be ourselves and not feel judged or rejected.

Mark and Debra Laaser lists "Safety" as one of the universal 7 desires of the human heart. What are you doing to help people in your life find safety?

Is your church a safe place where people can take off their masks and share their hurts, fears, struggles and failures? Too many churches are the exact opposite - people are expected to put on their "Sunday Morning Smile" and pretend they have it all together. Isn't that what the Pharisees did? Yet Jesus said He came for the sick not the "whole".

AA meetings and SA and NA meeting are designed to safe places for recovering addicts. They usually succeed at it better than most churches. How can we make our churches safe place where broken people can seek healing and wholeness in Christ? Maybe the call to worship might capture the spirit of "Hi, my name is Frank and I'm a sinner. I haven't sinned since Harold cut me off in the church parking lot and took my parking place!" Something to chew on!