Homework

James 1:22 calls believers to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers. Homework is useful for this purpose and for many others as outlined below. Basically people in todays world tend to want to simply take a pill to fix their problems, they do not want to go through the work necessary to replace the years of bad habits they have anchored into their lives. If they are not willing to do some simple homework assignments to actively put on the Word of God and spend some physical time working Gods word into the recesses of their blackened heart than there is good reason to believe that they do not really want to change.
People can very easily become professional sermon listeners and never take steps to apply what they have heard for years into their lives. Homework translates what is discussed in a counseling session into action during the rest of the week. Homework focuses on planning specific strategies that are relevant and appropriate for each counselee that will help them to actually implement the biblical directive to the point where it becomes a reality in their life. Homework puts the responsibility for change where it belongs, between the counselee and the Holy Spirit.
Homework in this way teaches the counselee a dependence upon God not on the counselor. It teaches them how to work through an issue by applying biblical truth to their heart, to renew their mind and how to handle that in the future. Good homework also brings out problems and patterns more quickly. This occurs because the counselee is being dealt with spiritually by God whenever they are actively studying or meditating on His Word. Rather than a one hour counseling session a week, there may be multiple hours a week being applied directly to the matter at hand.
The mechanics of homework must be specific in instruction, in requirements and in consequences. Structure with some flexibility enables counselees to look at the milestones they have reached throughout counseling bringing hope and spurring motivation. Regular and concrete assigned homework each week enables the process of change and motivation of the counselee to be gauged by the results, which can be reviewed in depth in the following session. In addition, clear and concrete assignments must be assigned especially for confused and emotionally distraught counselees as they may forget any vague or general directions given in counseling.