In the 1975 movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Black Knight (John Clease) lost both arms in the heat of combat. He said to King Arthur (Graham Chapman), “It’s just a flesh wound.”
The Black Knight did what addicts of all stripes have been doing since the Garden. He minimized.
We only find freedom when we obey God’s command: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and will cleanse us of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Note the keyword – if. “If we confess our sins.”
You will never get ahead in your recovery by minimizing what you have done. Don’t let your past control you. But you do need to let it inform you.
Recovery Step: Don’t minimize the damage of your past. Face up to it, turn from it, and then move on.
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.
