Why A heart-focused approach?

The number of counseling approaches is as many as the number of counselors, so how do you know which approach is best?

As a biblical counseling ministry, Heart Talk is committed to getting to the heart of the matter.

What is the heart?

Often we think of the heart as the physical organ that pumps blood through our bodies. But biblically, the heart refers to the internal part of us that can't be seen or touched. 

The Bible uses several words to describe the heart:

  • Our thoughts and mind
  • Our beliefs
  • Our desires and cravings
  • Our intentions and motivations
  • Our inner man

Think of the heart as the CPU of your body. While the visible actions take place through your physical body, those actions are driven by the thoughts, beliefs and desires of the heart.

Therefore, when trying to bring about change in your life, it's important to first bring about change in the motivations of the heart.

What does the bible say about the heart?

Is the idea of the heart biblical? Yes, just take a look at a few of the verses that discuss the heart.

Proverbs 4:23 - "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Proverbs 4:23 teaches us that all the issues of life flow out from the heart. It also stresses the importance of guarding your heart and keeping a close eye on what is happening in the heart.

Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2 is central to the Biblical Counselor's understanding of the counseling process. If we want to help someone transform their marriage, their finances or other behavioral burdens, we first need to help them renew the internal thoughts and beliefs that motivate their actions.

Jesus also mentioned the importance of the heart in Luke 6:45. 

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

Jesus taught that our heart is like a container of treasure that will inevitably come out in the way we speak. Therefore, if hateful words are coming out of our mouths, it demonstrates a problem of hate within the heart.

Matthew 9:4 - But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Matthew 9:4 shows us that our hearts are the place where we "think", showing that the words "heart" and "mind" can be used to describe the internal part of us. 

In Matthew 15:19 Jesus taught that our immoral behavior comes from our hearts.

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander."

Conclusion

As you can see, the heart plays a central role in our lives. We can't attempt to change our behavior without changing the thoughts and beliefs of the heart.

Any counseling approach that ignores the heart or focuses primarily on behavior completely misses out on the thing that actually motivates human behavior: the heart.

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