Most of us spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. And it never satisfies. It may give us a false sense of pride, but it never satisfies.
Our incessant drive to outperform, outspend, and outdo the next guy is a ride on a crazy train. We need to hop off.
C.S. Lewis nailed it: “Pride finds no pleasure from having something, but from having more of it than someone else.”
Solomon warned us of such pride when he said, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Recovery Step: Quit trying to get happy by having more than the next guy. That’s a game you’ll never win, and even if you do, it’s not worth it.”
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.
