Breaking Through Denial
Friday September 14, 2018
Denial keeps us in slavery because we are lying to ourselves. We often lie to others in an attempt to cover up our glaringly evident addictive behaviour. It is only when we break the cycle of denial and become brutally honest with ourselves about our bondage to our dependency that there is any chance for real freedom.
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3 NLT)
Denial comes in many forms. How can we identify denial in ourselves or in someone we love? It takes time to see a pattern of denial in our own lives or even in the life of another. Following are some signs:
Avoidance: We seek to focus the conversation on “anything but my real problem.”
Arguing: We easily get into arguments and believe that denying a problem will make it go away or change what someone else is seeing.
Complete Denial: Addicts refuse to admit they have a problem. They believe that others have misinterpreted their situation.
Minimizing: An addict will minimize how much or how often they use their substance of choice or how bad an impact their problem is having.
Rationalizing: Addicts rationalize their behaviour hoping that their reasoning will be enough to avoid taking action. “I can do what I want because I’m not hurting anyone except myself.”
Comparing: Addicts attempt to demonstrate they don’t have a serious problem by showing that someone else’s problem is greater than their own.
Bargaining: Addicts often make deals with themselves or others, “I’ll just have one. I’ll stop tomorrow. I just need a bit to get through today.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Help me to fearlessly reject the lies that have kept me in bondage to my addiction. Help me to accept the truth of the finished work of Jesus as payment in full for my sins so I can live in the freedom from condemnation that haunts me. Amen.
©2018 Partners in Hope
More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/
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