Coach Nick Saban said, “Because so many players and teams focus on the things they can’t control and forget about the important stuff they can control, they lose games.”
Translation – In recovery, focus on the things you control, as you turn the page on your past.
Paul said it like this: “Put on a new self” (Ephesians 4:23).
In their first decade of existence, Alcoholics Anonymous began a tradition that has become a staple for 12-Step groups of all stripes. They added a short prayer to every meeting, written by Reinhold Neibuhr in the 1930s.
I pray it every morning . . .
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
Recovery Step: Focus on the things you can control. Pray the Serenity Prayer every day.
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.
