In March 1961, Time magazine published a cover story on the presence of anxiety in America. The article was entitled, "Guilt and Anxiety." The point of the study was that the breakdown of faith in God (in the nineteenth century) and in reason (in the twentieth century), coupled with the accelerated pace and high tension of modern life, has produced intense anxiety in many millions of people. So much so, in fact, that it is correct to call worry one of the most widespread and debilitating characteristics of our time. 

One of the great privileges that comes from being made a member of God’s family is prayer, because now we can come to God not as aliens but as sons and daughters. Because of this, we’re encouraged to come to God in prayer, knowing that our Father knows all about us and loves us and cares for us and encourages us to come. Furthermore, He promises to answer our prayers that are pleasing to Him. The Holy Spirit helps us in our prayers by interceding for us before God, even when we do not know what we should pray for, or how.

When Jesus came to be a wonderful counselor and then by the resurrection and ascension return to heaven, He did not leave us without wisdom. Rather, He continues to provide the wisdom we need. James talks about it. He says, “Do any of you lack wisdom?” Any of us who have any wisdom at all at that point say, “Indeed we do! We lack it a great deal.” And then he says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who upbraideth not but giveth to all men liberally (or generously), and it will be given him.” And he goes on in that same chapter to say, “Every good gift comes from God.” If you value wisdom, ask God for it, and He will give it to you. It comes through Jesus Christ, our Wonderful Counselor.

And then finally there is the title Prince of Peace. That title more than any other is associated with Christmas because it’s what the angels were talking about. They said “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” You and I need wisdom. We need power. We need this kind of all-embracing home. And we also need peace, because in ourselves we are not at peace. James describes the wicked—which is what we are apart from the work of Christ—as a troubled sea that has no rest. Somebody has said that the chief problem with the human race is that human beings don’t know how to sit in their room and be still. We’re always up to something. We’re always restless. We’re churning around inside. We just cannot sit quietly and contemplate God and be content. Jesus is the One who comes to bring peace because He Himself embodies peace, and give His peace to us.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our Counselor and be with us. And John writes that Jesus is also our Counselor as He reigns in heaven. I should point out here that this word parakletos, one who is called alongside another to help, is the Greek equivalent of the Latin word from which we get our word “advocate.” Jesus comes alongside as our advocate, as a lawyer does when he represents his client. Both the Son of God in heaven and the Holy Spirit present here in us on earth act as our divine Counselors, always acting wonderfully toward us.