Book Review - "A Breath of Fresh Air"

Bavinck’s work on psychology is a breath of fresh air in a day and age when God is often ignored, and man is often considered to be the center of this subject. These articles not only serve the church in their understanding of psychology, but they also contain a missionary emphasis for the lost world that shows them their great need to be made whole in Jesus Christ as they come to a true understanding of themselves. Bavinck recaptures the psychological wealth within the Scriptures, writing in an interesting, concise, and readable manner.

The Foundation of Biblical Counseling

Imagine a worst fear realized. Consider a woman going about her daily life yet with the unsettling feeling that something is wrong. She’s experiencing headaches, blurry vision, and memory lapses. At first, she ignores the symptoms, but as the symptoms increase in intensity, she makes an appointment with her doctor. 

Before her appointment, she goes to visit with a friend who has experienced similar symptoms and has helped counsel others who have battled this dreaded illness. She sits with the friend who prays with her, reads the Bible with her, and asks some basic questions in order to get a better understanding of what the woman is experiencing. The woman begins to open up about the emotions and feelings of fear as the tears pool in her eyes.

“No,” replies the friend. “We can’t talk about emotions. Emotions are unbiblical and, therefore, unreliable. We must focus on your biblical response to what God has placed in your life.”

And so a woman, already weighed down with great burdens, sinks further down. Her friend isn’t wrong. Our emotions can get the best of us. God does call us to rejoice in all things. And yet….