We are all familiar with the metaphor about life that says we have all been “dealt a deck of cards.” You have to play the deck you’re dealt. You don’t get to play someone else’s hand.
In your deck were several jokers and wild cards, of which you had no control:
- Place of birth
- Generational sin
- Parental neglect
- Trauma
- Physical attributes
- Abuse
The key to recovery is not to ask for a new deck, but learning how to win with the deck you already have. The Bible says it like this: “A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it” (Ecclesiastes 7:18).
Recovery Step: It does no good to complain about your two of clubs. If you stick with the hand you have been dealt and stay in the game, you will eventually come out ahead.
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.
