Christ, Culture, and Career Project Paper Example

Introduction

The contemporary society is characterized by multiple cultures that relate to human diversities and tradition. However, a Christian's perception is that amid the diversities, deeds in the society are subject to conform to Gods world and the intended world. Having chosen a Christian counseling career, my project was focussed on identifying gaps between culture and Christianity based on different perspectives by the different parties. Specifically, the project entailed an exploration of a broad perspective of the relations between culture and Christianity, points out to the role of Christian counseling in the society, identifies gaps between culture and Christianity and finally explores the significance of counseling in marriage. The project also points out on certain Christian values in which counseling should be based upon.

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Counseling the Multicultural Population in our Society

Exploration of Christianity, culture, and career points out to the roles of Christians and their attitude in the current society. When so much of the current society is at odds with Christian beliefs, individuals deeply rooted in Christianity must seek to transform the society in accordance with Christian principles. Christian values can thus be enhanced in contemporary society through counseling and thus the rationale of my career choice.

Making the best of it require that Christians encounters are based on Biblical records as well as various theological models about cultural engagement aimed at offering balanced and fruitful alternatives. My counseling approach in the society is not based upon rooting up the odds in the society or shunning people but rather focusses on persistence towards maintaining God's word and the world. According to Reinhold Niebuhr, the mission of Christianity is to make the most of life in the world through a corporation with God's mission to redeem the world. My counseling pattern as a Christian is thus based on Biblical activities, subsequent history and working through societal cultures to accomplish God's purpose. Therefore Christian must find a way to live in the world while doing all that work to serve God and His plans.

Amid the desire to create a society that maintains value for God's plans, activities, and deeds, it is indisputable that the contemporary society is marked with cultural tensions; both domestically and internationally. The increasing religious and cultural tensions raise the question of the role of Christianity in contemporary society. Counseling is, however, one of the roles that Christians perform in contemporary society. With its foundations rooted in the Bible, Christian's counselors examine areas in which an individual, especially a Christian, maybe disobedient about the commands and principles of the scripture. The primary aim is thus helping the persons learn on how to submit to Gods will.

Christian values for which they can counsel are based on the absolute standards for which lifestyle can be measured; a measure that is contrary to secular counselors. Although Christian counseling extensively relies on set standards of lifestyles, the counseling often borrows from psychology used in secular counseling. However, Christian counseling is purposeful at restore, construct and create hope for humanity. Based on Biblical concepts, counseling can instruct people in the way that they should embrace. Psalms 119:24 states that statutes, referring to counselors, are the delight of God (Miller, 1986).

Christian counseling must be grounded in certain aspects including Spirituality and Biblical-based. However, culture has been identified as a challenge to Christianity. Culture affects the manner in which people interpret the Bible thus giving the gospel a different meaning. For instance, North Americans read and interpret the Bible through the western eyes. Cultural habits that are deeply ingrained in people has thus brought about discussion on how the Bible should be interpreted. The complexities that come along with the different interpretations foster my desire to indulge in Christian counseling duties.

Across the globe, there is cultural diversity and interpretation of the Bible require that one understands own culture. Rather than giving Christianity a-me-approach, I intend to help the society understand Christianity and culture to overcome certain cultural practices shaped by perceptions. With Biblical interpretation linked to tinted glasses or lenses that aid vision, they also distort our vision elsewhere and thus the need to help the community overcome cultural prospects.

Culture and Christianity have remained to oppose forces according to a majority. The two are perceived as opposing forces of influence with the church standing on one side and culture on the other side. The different perceptions create a society that is increasingly becoming post-Christian and anti-Christian in some way. With culture being influenced by the political and societal elite and citizens, Christian beliefs on theological and moral issues seems to be mocked.

A rift between Christianity and culture has also been based on the perception that Christianity is objective towards creating a balance between immersing oneself in the world and isolating self with comfort. Although such believers are postulated to have a good mentality that maintains the purity of the church, it is important that the majority understands the concept so that man-made barriers do not create a wrong illusion.

One societal aspect that is influenced by both the cultural perspectives as well as Christianity is marriage. Cultured has definite means through which marriages should be conducted. On the other hand, Christianity also has values for which marriage should be based upon. The different perceptions and points of view, although the aiming at a similar end goal of successful marriage, is subject to confuse and thus the need for counseling. Although I am a staunch Christian by now, I was brought up in a family in which Christianity was little valued. Instead, marriages were based on culture with men being the dominant party. Chauvinism was the order of the day. However, having gotten knowledge about Christianity and followed teachings of God, I have learned that marriages based on culture are not entirely based on happiness. Cultural marriages compared to Christian marriages depict that families founded in Christian faith have smooth marriages characterized with respect.

Although churches vary in the manner in which they approach pre-marital counseling, the outcomes are always building a society that has value for both men and women. As a Christian counselor, I have handled several cases in which disagreements between couples lead to conflicts. However, in reality, disagreements are inevitable within marriages and those who seek counseling and abide by God's teachings are more successful.

Conclusion

Conclusively, Christ, culture, and counseling is an interesting societal perspective. Counselling proves to be important in bridging gaps between Christ and culture. Counseling is also helpful in the identification of different perspective between Christianity and culture. Upon identification of the disparities, a counselor proves to be an important mediator to create values for Christianity in the society.

References

Miller, P. D. (1986). Interpreting the Psalms (p. 109). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.