“Don’t be surprised if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13).
Why did that verse have to be there? I mean, if we do everything right, we will be loved and celebrated by everyone in our path, right?
Wrong.
If you base your confidence, let alone your recovery, on the opinions of others, get ready to be disappointed. The fact is, if you live for the approval of others, you will die from their rejection.
If you do recovery right, some will love you for it. And some will not. That is true of anything you do. No one ever had a 100% approval rating.
The answer is to care less about what everyone else thinks of you, and do the next right thing. Measure your success by how you respond to God, not by how others respond to you.
Recovery Step: Ask God to give you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
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.
