Resources for Biblical Counseling: From Pride to Humility

Title: From Pride to Humility: A Biblical Perspective

Author: Dr. Stuart Scott

Publisher: Focus Publishing Inc, 2002; 25 pp. $3

Type of Resource: Booklet

Resource Categories: Marriage, Heart Issues, Put-off/Put-On Principle, Pride/Humility

Recommendation: 5 stars

Summary:

Most of us think of pride as the arrogant football player on TV or the relative from back east that’s always talking about herself. But very few of us think of pride as an issue that we all deal with, let alone do we realize how deeply pride infiltrates every area of our life.

That’s why I’m thankful for this welcome resource by Dr. Stuart Scott. In just a few pages, Dr. Scott helps us unmask and expose this extremely deceptive heart issue known as pride and replace it with Christ-exalting humility.

There are several areas of the booklet that are particularly helpful. In my opinion, his very convicting list of 25 “manifestations of pride” is worth the price of the booklet alone. But rather than leave the reader discouraged, Dr. Scott then charts a biblical plan for repenting of pride and replacing it with humility. The booklet also includes a helpful diagram to help replace a pride-feeding, man-centered view of life with a God-centered (theocentric) view. Most of all, the booklet points the reader to Christ as both the perfect example of humility as well as the means by which a believer grows in humility.

I have found this booklet to be a very effective homework assignment, especially when counselees are having trouble seeing the depth of their sin. In fact, I know of one biblical counselor who has every married couple he counsels read this booklet early on in the counseling process. I think that is wise advice, because the Scripture tells us that, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

This booklet is actually a chapter excerpted from Dr. Scott’s excellent book, The Exemplary Husband, which I also highly recommend. Dr. Scott is a professor of biblical counseling at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY.

Resources for Biblical Counseling: Biblical Peacemaking

Title: Biblical Peacemaking: Building Real Relationships

Authors: Ken Sande & Gary Friesen

Publisher: Peacemaker Ministries, 2003; 26 pp. $1.75

Type of Resource: Booklet

Resource Categories: Conflict Resolution, Marriage, Forgiveness, Confession/Repentance

Recommendation: 5 stars

Summary:

This little booklet is a concise yet surprisingly thorough overview of Ken Sande’s groundbreaking book, The Peacemaker (a book easily in the top ten "must reads" for every biblical counselor). In a day and age when surprisingly few Christians really understand and practice biblical conflict resolution, Ken Sande’s work is both timely and exceedingly helpful. The booklet is also a great tool because it allows the biblical counselor to teach the basic principles of biblical conflict resolution without having to have the counselee read Sande’s entire book. I have also found it to be very useful as a homework assignment.

Topics include: a biblical view of conflict (the three opportunities conflict provides), the biblical process of conflict resolution (the four G’s), the steps of confessing sin (the seven A’s of confession), and what it means to actual forgive someone (the four promises of forgiveness).

This booklet is part of a series of booklets called the Culture of Peace Series. Other works in the series include: Judging Others: The Danger of Playing God, Words that Cut: Learning to Take Criticism in Light of the Gospel, Transforming Workplace Disputes: The Vital Role of Christian Conciliation, and Church Discipline: God’s Search and Rescue Plan.

Please note that these resources are only available through Peacemaker Ministries .