Let me give you six words: We pursue relief; God pursues results.
That’s how we get into addiction. We value comfort over character, pleasure over peace, and gratification over God.
And relief over results.
You will never find sobriety until you become okay with not always being happy. Sometimes, life hurts. And some level of sadness, loss, and failure is inevitable.
I visited a recovery meeting in another city last month. A young man who picked up his six-month chip at that meeting shared his story. “Life in recovery is hard, but life before recovery was harder.”
I couldn’t say it better myself.
Recovery Step: The Bible promises persecution (Matthew 5:10-12). And that’s okay. Focus less on relief and more on results.
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.
