“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em
Know when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away
And when to run.”
– Kenny Rogers, The Gambler, 1976
That is the story of every addict. He must learn when to walk away and when to run.
Never was there a harder lesson for me to learn. In my addict mind, I could always hang around the fantasy and lust. I could walk up to the line, able to back away at the last second. It took decades for me to learn to not only walk away, but to run!
You have gambled with your habit for long enough. It’s time to fold ‘em. It’s time to walk away. It’s time to run.
Recovery Step: Jesus said, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Or as Kenny Rogers would say, we need to walk away from our own ways and run to Jesus.
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.
