Couples for Christ Foundation for Family & Life, Inc.

CFC-FFL
Body of Counselors

“security lies in many counselors”
(Prov 11:14b)

The role of counselors is very important for an ecclesial movement. The Lord provides counselors to assist His servant leaders in order to help promote the well-being of His people and the proper fulfillment of His work.

Counselors help provide wisdom, understanding, direction and discernment. Counsel is one of the 7 sanctifying gifts of the Spirit.

“The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (Is 11:2-3a).
Good counsel is a result of and reflects all the other virtues—wisdom, understanding, strength, knowledge, piety and fear of God.

The importance of good counsel
For us in CFC-FFL, good counsel is important in order to more properly discern the mind and will of God, so that we can fulfill our life and mission as He intends.

“For what man knows God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” (Wis 9:13). Collective wisdom is important and desirable.
“Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when counselors are many.” (Prov 15:22).
“For it is by wise guidance that you wage your war, and the victory is due to a wealth of counselors.” (Prov 24:6).

The spirituality of a counselor
How does one become a good counselor? Doing God’s work, we need to tap into God’s mind and heart. But we know that God’s ways and thoughts are very far from ours (Is 55:8-9). As such, one’s spirituality is critical.

What counselors need to do in order to be effective
1) Avoid sin.

“The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, nor is there prudence in the counsel of sinners.” (Sir 19:18).

2) Be a man/woman of prayer and continue being formed in the Lord.

“How different the man who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High! ….. His care is to seek the Lord, his Maker, to petition the Most High, to open his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for his sins. Then, if it pleases the Lord Almighty, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth his words of wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the Lord, who will direct his knowledge and his counsel” (Sir 39:1-7).

3) Be prudent.

“Now will I praise those godly men, ….. counselors in their prudence” (Sir 44:3a).
“The shrewd man does everything with prudence” (Prov 13:16a).
“Among wisdom’s treasures is the paragon of prudence” (Sir 1:22a).

What is prudence?
Wisdom.
Judiciousness or sound judgment.
Circumspection, or care in considering all circumstances and possible consequences.

The role of the Body of Counselors (BoC)
1) To provide wise counsel to the Servant General (and to Country Servants).

Counselors help ease the overall leader’s burden. “Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude ….. Because authority was given you by the Lord ….. who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels!” (Wis 6:2-3).
God admonishes top leaders: “Do nothing without counsel, and then you need have no regrets.” (Sir 32:19).
But in the end, the top leader decides. “Then, too, heed your own heart’s counsel; for what have you that you can depend on more?” (Sir 37:13).

2) To reflect God’s mind and what is right in the Lord.

Counselors have their own counselors, which are the ways of God. “Your decrees are my delight; they are my counselors.” (Ps 119:24).
Counselors discern what is of God and not merely insist on their own human ways. They do not propose just human opinions based on human likes and dislikes. “Every counselor points out a way, but some counsel ways of their own” (Sir 37:7).
Counselors are challenged to continually check if they are aligning with God’s mind or simply their own. “Are you privy to the counsels of God, and do you restrict wisdom to yourself?” (Jb 15:8).

3) To actively participate in the overall life and mission of CFC-FFL.

The BoC collectively looks to the preservation of the vision, mission and charism of CFC-FFL.
The BoC helps develop overall thrusts, strategies, policies and basic formation programs, and recommends same for approval.
Members of the BoC assist each other in their respective tasks by giving inputs as needed.

(SG. Dec 22, 2010)