Billy had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while, he emerged and told his mother that he had thought it over and had said a prayer.
“Fine,” said his mother. “If you ask God to help you to not misbehave, he will help you.”
Billy said, “Oh, I didn’t ask God to help me to not misbehave. I asked him to help you put up with me as I am.”
Billy would be a good sex addict. What he did, we all do. We want others to just accept our behavior, rather than having to change it.
Peter preached, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).
Recovery Step: No more excuses. No more blame games. Own who you are and what you’ve done. Then work with God to make a real change.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
