Empathy While Counseling Trauma - Job 25-26

Job 26:1-4 (ESV)

Job Replies: God's Majesty Is Unsearchable

Then Job answered and said:

“How you have helped him who has no power!

How you have saved the arm that has no strength!

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,

and plentifully declared sound knowledge!

With whose help have you uttered words,

and whose breath has come out from you?

Job replies!   Replies to what?  The key to understanding the above response of Job (which reeks with sarcasm) is only possible if we read the last words of his friend Bildad’s speech, stated just prior.  Bildad’s third speech to Job is the shortest of all of Job’s three friend’s speeches.  But Job will have a six chapter response to his speech.   Something sets him off to be very sarcastic to this friend in particular and all the counsel of his friends in general.  Let’s read the last verse of the previous chapter and see what Bildad said:

Job 25:5-6 (ESV)

Behold, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Imagine you are counseling someone who has been through great trauma.  They are sitting in front of you and are covered in boils and in extreme pain.  Add to the mix they have lost all ten of their children, their finances have collapsed and their entire staff of workers were also killed in a great disaster.   Plus all their assets were carried off by thieves.   This all happened within a short time period.   Would it be recommended in any psychology books, self-help books, counseling instruction manuals and/or any sociology principles to refer to someone in such trauma as a maggot and/or a worm?  It is really sad that another human being, who has witnessed such pain and suffering, would refer to that person in such a way.  This causes Job to respond sarcastically and ask the question of Bildad (and the other two friends) who has given you such amazing counsel and given you such in-depth knowledge (which drips with sarcasm).   Job’s three friends have gone from wanting to comfort Job to full blown confronting Job.   Anyone who has ever done counseling knows how hard it can be to counsel someone who is in trauma.   But that difficulty should in no way give permission to ridicule them, dismiss them and/or describe them as mere maggots and worms.   This should all fall under a book title, The Dumb Things People Say To Those In Trauma.   Job is hurting. In the next six chapter he will respond to all three friends by declaring his integrity, defending his behavior, questioning wisdom and finally asking for a face-to-face with God (which God will eventually grant).   There are three  takeaways here in this text for when God gives us opportunities to counsel those in trauma:

1. Let’s be humble ourselves and help them heal and be restored into a relationship with God.  
2. Let us not become as equally bitter as the one in trauma may be at this moment in their lives.  
3. Let us not condemn them in our approach, but rather uplift them with words that point them back to God.

Paul said it this way to the churches in Galatia:

Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV)

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.