You’re not the only one in sexual addiction recovery who relapses.
Here’s how to stand back up.
I’m in sex addiction recovery. Here’s what I do when I fall.
I’ve shared before that I’m in sexual addiction recovery (and that it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m gay or celibate). I’m grateful the Lord has helped me make real progress toward sobriety.
But over the years, there have been slip-ups.
I often get messages from gay and straight people who consider themselves to be recovering sexual addicts who say, “I just hooked up with someone. I feel like crap. What do I do next?”
Here’s what helps me rebound after a slip-up:
1. I remind myself that Jesus already paid the price for my mistakes. When I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior back in 3rd grade, He forgave every sin I would ever commit. The moment I feel genuine remorse, God removes the stain of my sin as far as the east is from the west. If I sprinted across the entire 93 billion light-years of the universe, I still wouldn’t catch up with my stain.
2. I remember that Jesus is more sad for me than mad at me. When I mess up, I don’t picture Him standing over me with arms crossed. I picture Him kneeling beside me, sadness in His eyes. He’s a Father who wants His kids to enjoy what’s truly life-giving. And He’s sad when we settle for fast food while He’s preparing a feast.
3. I take practical steps. I reach out to my accountability partners and confess. We talk honestly about what “backdoors” made it easier to mess up, and we close those gaps. Because if I don’t take action, I’m not serious about repentance, and I shouldn’t be surprised if it happens again.
If you’ve slipped up, don’t run from God. Run to Him. He’s not waiting with punishment or anger. He’s waiting with mercy and compassion. He can still make something beautiful out of your story.
I put together a resource on how predictable temptation is and how to faithfully resist it. If you’re interested, comment or DM me “temptation” and I’ll send it your way.
Watch the video at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQeiXbHkSjE
