Reach for Help

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Recovery counsellors use the phrase ‘terminally unique’ because people with addictions think their problem is unique: ‘Others would reject me if they knew my problem. I’ve struggled with it so long that I don’t believe I’ll ever conquer it.’ So they isolate, and live in despair and depression. One author writes: ‘So often we are inclined to keep our lives hidden. Shame and guilt prevent us from letting others know what we are living with. We think, “If my family and friends knew the dark cravings of my heart and my strange mental wanderings, they would push me away and exclude me from their company.” But the opposite is true. When we dare to lift up our cup and let our friends know what is in it, they will be encouraged to lift up their cups and share with us their anxiously hidden secrets. The greatest healing often takes place when we no longer feel isolated by our shame and guilt, and discover that others often feel what we feel, think what we think, and have the fears, apprehensions, and preoccupations we have.’ Don’t let pride keep you from conquering your problem. When you can muster the strength to be honest with yourself and others, you’ll find healing. Read these two Scriptures: ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ ‘God…comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God’ (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The word for you today is: reach for help.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You know everything about me – the good and the bad and the ugly, and You still love me. Help me find comfort in that fact and Your Mercy and Compassion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen