As human beings it is natural for us to become encompassed within an attitude of acceptance throughout our daily routines. To put it differently, our personalities can become creatures of habit which unconsciously synchronize and evolve over time into several dominant behavioral traits that blinds our own self-awareness. Therefore, in order to avoid this breeding ground for the element of resistance, we need to reestablish an alertness within our cognitive state of minds before the automatic pattern fully commences. This is the type of resistance which many struggle with, and express repeatedly in walking with the Lord. The self-awareness we carry is only present through the power of the Holy Spirit, but there is a tug of war which takes place within us at any given time. Resistance begins as soon as we begin making deals with ourselves via a thought process that alters the definition of true comfort which is truly only found in Jesus Christ.
Shifting slightly, in the Star Wars series there is a militia referenced as, The Resistance, which opposes the Evil Empire of Darth Vader and company. It should be noted here that, in the Star Wars universe, in order for resistance to genuinely take place, there is a requirement of awareness that both good and evil are realities. By the same token, as Christians, the Lord gives us this necessary gift of awareness in His Word. James 4:7 (The King James Version) states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”(Holy Bible ) To clarify, the Lord instructs us to seek him first with awareness of submission to Him, and He enables us to fend off the temptations of Satan. Correspondingly, the Devil utilizes resistance through temptation to keep us from growing closer with Jesus Christ. With this in mind, we see the force of resistance applied in similar fashion in the arena of counseling as well. “Resistance is any behavior or impediment –whether from the client, the therapist, or the environment- that interferes with or retards the achievement of mutually agreed upon counseling goals”(Clinton and Ohlschlager 383). In light of this, how can resistance best be used as a tool to help a struggling counselee?
Ultimately, to help a client battling resistance, a counselor needs to gain access with the intent to assess how this force is impacting the progression of the original goal or goals previously established. As a matter of fact, in some cases resistance and stubbornness on the part of the client can be shifted towards sources of strength on the part of the counselor. After all, the client would not be experiencing the feelings of resistance had awareness and growth begun to take place. For example, once proper assessment has been made it may be beneficial to support and be empathetic toward the client’s feelings. According to step four of “Helpful Ways of Managing Resistance” in Competent Christian Counseling, “Here, you are applying a paradoxical strategy, a counterintuitive approach that disarms and even works with the resistance in order to break through the impasse it creates”(Clinton and Ohlschlager 390). If this approach of essentially meeting the enemy halfway is successful, then the client would naturally be more open so the counselor can gain more access towards progression of success. Generally speaking, as counselors we have a series of tools we can utilize to shift the perspective of resistance which can aid the entire process for the better. Galatians 6:1-2 (The King James Version) states, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ”(Holy Bible ). We are instructed to help one another as members of the body of Christ, and how we choose our approach must be fitting to His Word. Amen!
Works Cited
Clinton, Dr. Timothy and Dr. George Ohlschlager. “Change As Paradox Overcoming Client Resistance and Fear of Change.” Clinton, Dr. Timothy and Dr. George Ohlschlager. Competant Christian Counseling. Colorado Springs,CO: WaterBrook Press, 2002. 379-397.
Holy Bible . Thomas Nelson Publishers , 1997.
