Page 11 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 23

Both are immobilizing. Neither cul�vates the kind we conceive of God as micromanaging every detail
of robust, responsible agency needed for maturity of our lives, we risk raising up believers who are spi-
and healing. ritually stunted—afraid to choose, unskilled in
discernment, and unable to own their lives with
A Genesis Blueprint: God’s Invita�on to Agency holy courage.
A brief glance at Genesis 2 offers theological clarity.
In verse 19, we read: Recognizing that God grants us agency does not di-
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the minish His sovereignty; rather, it enhances one’s re-
ground all the wild animals and all the birds in la�onship with Him, allowing deep engagement in
the sky. He brought them to the man to see life with freedom, responsibility, and a healthy trust
what he would name them; and whatever the in His guidance.
man called each living creature, that was its
name.” Agency in the Therapeu�c Space
(Genesis 2:19–20, NIV) Therapists are at their best when they can support
the client’s God-given autonomy. A determinis�c
God gives Adam a task—to name the animals. But theology o�en undermines this, subtly shi�ing the
it’s not a trick assignment. There is no divine cor- therapeu�c posture from empowerment to passivi-
rec�on or predetermined list. Whatever Adam na- ty. If we believe everything has been preordained,
mes the animals, that becomes their name. This is we may treat clients more like vic�ms of fate than
not a minor point of seman�cs. It’s a theological re- responsible agents of change.
vela�on: God grants genuine agency, and that
agency is good. It’s part of His image in us. In such a framework, the counsellor may overly
emphasize emo�onal valida�on while neglec�ng
God doesn’t desire carbon-copy, one-size-fits-all the invita�on to decision-making, ownership, and
humans. He desires a diverse and crea�ve people responsibility. But a more integrated theology hel-
who understand just how fearfully and wonderfully ps the therapist see clients not just as hur�ng—but
they have been made (Psalm 139:14). When indivi- as capable. Clients are not merely shaped by their
duals recognize their uniqueness, they begin to circumstances; they have the power to shape their
grasp the vastness of their Creator’s imagina�on. response.

Clinical Consequences of a Controlling Therapy This is the key clinical takeaway: Agency is not the
This conversa�on is not abstract. It lands directly in enemy of sovereignty. It is the terrain where God
the counselling room. A great number of believers invites us to live, choose, create, and grow.
hold to a theology that emphasizes God's exhaus�-
ve control over all decisions and events. This ar�cle Conclusion: Theology That Heals
is not meant to correct doctrine, but to examine When therapists hold a theology that honours both
the natural psychological and clinical outcomes of divine sovereignty and human agency, the clinical
different theological frameworks—par�cularly work becomes richer. Clients are seen not as pro-
around free will. blems to fix, or as fated stories to unfold—but as
It’s been said the average adult makes 35,000 cons- par�cipants in a sacred, ongoing co-crea�on with
cious decisions each day. To make wise, responsible God.
choices, one must first believe that one has real
agency. But if every detail is already predetermined Empowering clients with this vision does more than
and the believer's role is merely to “align” or “sub- dignify their story—it reflects the very heart of
mit” to a fixed plan—or else—this undermines the God. As therapists and theologians alike, we do
development of mature, healthy decision-making. well to ask: How does my view of God shape my
view of people? And in turn: How does that view
Consider the child raised under a controlling pa- shape the healing process I help steward?
rent. The result is o�en an adult who struggles to Let us, then, embrace a theology that fosters free-
think independently—paralyzed by the fear of failu- dom, responsibility, and congruence—not just for
re, and unsure how to trust themselves. Likewise, if our clients, but for ourselves.

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