Sometimes, when I arrive back home after speaking engagements I receive phone calls from attendees who either have a question about something I said when I spoke or something they are struggling with that they think maybe I can help them with.
One particular instance stands out in my mind.
I had been asked to speak at a women’s conference at a Christian college in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference was well attended and I enjoyed doing the part I had in it.
Two days after arriving back home, I received a phone call from a woman who lives in the Nashville area who had attended this particular conference. She asked if I had the time to talk with her. I told her I did.
The woman gave me her name and proceeded to tell me about her life and that she was a follower of Christ. She also said she had a husband and a professional career that takes her away from home often and that she always travels alone.
After asking her a few questions, I asked her why she thought I was the one who could help her with her difficulty. She said after listening to me speak the past weekend at the conference she thought I had the knowledge, skill, wisdom and spiritual insight to be able to help her with something she had been struggling with for a long time.
The woman went on to tell me what she was struggling with. What she said was not uncommon for me to hear though it is more common to hear from men than from women.
She proceeded to tell me that when she is away from home and is in her hotel room at night, all alone, she turns on the television. After she does this, she said she is drawn to what I call, “trash” programming, movies, etc. She said she didn’t want to but she was drawn to it and couldn’t resist.
I listened intently for about five minutes as the woman told me all about what she was doing and watching and then I stopped her and said, “Turn off the television if you do not have the will to trust the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to change the channel. Period!
Then, I told her she needed to find a professional Christian counselor to help her work through the root of what is really going on in her heart and life and, if needed, get into a Christian support group.
After this, we spoke a little longer, I prayed for her and wished her Godspeed.
When I hung up the phone I thought, “Sometimes, people just need people they can go to who will give them no-frills Godly counseling.”
What do you think?
Proverbs 12:18 reads, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
