Let’s talk about secrets.
Oswald Chambers wrote, “We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation.”
Dr. Grant Brenner writes about the effects of secrets on our well-being. “Secrecy reduces well-being, while sharing can increase satisfaction. Keeping secrets takes work and is fatiguing. Secrets make us lonely and sad. They also make us feel fearful, hostile, and guilty. Secrets manifest in feelings of social isolation and motivational conflict.”
Other than that, secrets are fine!
The fact is, addiction injures, while secrets kill.
Recovery Step: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Ultimately, there will be no secrets. The only question is when you will choose to walk in the light.
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.