Keeping a balanced perspective while counseling others requires that you personally have a strong grip on the fact that God’s goodness and sovereignty exist SIMULTANEOUSLY. God is ALWAYS in control—ABSOLUTE CONTROL, not just partial control. EVERYTHING that God does is GOOD from HIS perspective. His perspective is one that says the LONGTERM SPIRITUAL consequences of an experience are what determines whether it is good or not. Look around the world and you’ll see God giving countless defenseless children into the clutches of people who are going to horrifically abuse them. What is He thinking doing this? He’s thinking long-term spiritual benefits. Early traumas cause us to develop receptivity to certain essential lessons later on in life. When you are overwhelmed by your own internal pain, you approach God with a very different attitude than when you think you have it all together.