Comment I heard recently…

“Anything I place in front of my recovery I will lose anyway.”

Really?

How about this statement instead: “Anything I place in front of Christ I will lose anyway.”

Recovery or Christ? Is recovery the god of the person who made the first statement above? Maybe. Recovery is certainly the most important “thing” in the person’s life! Our goal must not ONLY be to stay clean and sober (recovery) but our goal must be to glorify God with our lives and to live for Him alone!

You may be thinking I am splitting hairs over this but it’s important and an important distinction. The biblical word is transformation anyway – not recovery! God wants more than just recovery; He wants a transformation for the person struggling with an addiction. Praise God!

-Mark (wanting more than just sobriety; wanting to know Christ more deeply and wanting to glorify His Name!)

September is National “Recovery” Month – How about Nat’l Transformation Month instead!?!

It’s September which means one thing: it’s National Recovery Month!

While I like the word “recovery,” I love the biblical word, “transformation”, so much better because God wants more for the person struggling with an addiction!

II Cor. 3:18 and Romans 12:2 remind us that God wants to transform our minds by making us more Christ-like! His plan is fantastic and is more than just staying clean and sober! So let’s rename this month from what the world calls it and call it what God calls it: National Transformation Month.

Really, every month of the entire year is national transformation month because God is still in the business of transforming lives for His own glory!

-Mark (glad God is transforming me daily)

Addiction-Proof Parenting: Biblical Prevention Strategies – what’s the book all about?

In my latest book, I wrote on the topic of parenting. I think the best summation of what the book is about comes from Dr. Tedd Tripp’s endorsement of it. Dr. Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, said this about the book:

I think this is a great book. It is properly aligned, and because of extensive counseling experience, Mark Shaw is able to work back from how addicts think to biblical ways of thinking about oneself and life that counter “addictive” thought patterns. This book is for serious parents who will invest time in training their children. What could possibly be more important in this dangerous world? I hope you will read this book – even better – do this book!

Dr. Tripp gets it. I start from how addicts think of themselves and work backwards to help parents PREVENT instilling this mindset in their children. I think it’s a practical tool to help all parents! I trust you will be challenged and encouraged as you read this book and put it into practice in your family!

-Mark (having fun helping parents)

“Jesus is my sponsor! He is my friend!”

At self-help meetings, one is encouraged to get a sponsor which is someone to disciple them in the principles of the secular, self-help program. The problem is that a sponsor may not be a Christian. So how can someone learn about Christ from a person who is NOT a Christian? They cannot if the person is not following Christ!

So a good friend of mine came up with this slogan for those who need a sponsor in self-help meetings: “Jesus is my sponsor!”

John 15:13 reminds us that Jesus is the greatest friend we could ever have since He gave His life for us to forgive us of our sins: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (ESV)

Matthew 11:19 also reminds us that they accused Jesus of being a drunkard and a friend of sinners: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Jesus is a friend to repentant sinners! In fact, Jesus is my friend and my sponsor! I need Jesus to disciple me and He does through His Word and Spirit spoken through a committed believer and follower of Christ who is born again (John 3:3). In that way, “Jesus is my sponsor!”

We have a relationship with Jesus so this is not some corny, stupid saying. Jesus is my friend and advocate and most importantly, my Lord and Savior! He knows me and I know Him. We are very close. Therefore, I can say that “He alone is my sponsor!”

-Mark (loving my Savior, Lord, and sponsor, Jesus!)