Accountability: Not Just for Sobriety Anymore
Several months ago in a counseling session with a client, l’ll call Steve, I asked him how he was working with his accountability partner for recovery. He admitted they hadn’t talked in a few weeks. When asked why, Steve stated that the phone calls had gotten very mundane. He and his accountability were both getting tired of talking about S...
Why We Need Friends That Tell It like It Is
I must have been a freshman or sophomore in high school around 1958-1959. Stepping out onto our front porch in Lawler, Iowa, there was no doubt in my mind that GQ Magazine would be asking to feature me on their next cover. I felt quite dapper looking into the mirror before going outside to impress the world. Well, if not the world, at least my bud...
What Makes an Accountability Partner?
In Proverbs 27:17 we read “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” I believe this refers to the value of support and accountability. In my work I with men struggling with pornography, I usually recommend they find accountability partners. This is needed to help achieve and maintain healthy sobriety. Many ask me who can be a suit...
Sidelining Sadness: 3 Things to Remember When You’re Discouraged
If you have ever tried to build a piece of furniture, or anything for that matter, you know the feeling… you get done and look at your accomplishment and say, “That did not turn out quite like I expected.” When I first started learning how to build furniture it happened all the time. I went into projects with grand expectations, but l...
Four Truths We Need to Tell About Forgiveness
Forgiveness is absolutely central to our faith. Most of us know this and simply take it as a given. But we must remember that forgiveness is not commonplace. Many who have been wronged bear a heavy burden of bitterness, and those who have wronged them bear a crippling sense of shame. At root, this is a spiritual problem, and it’s a proble...
Can the Porn: An Appeal to Men
There comes a time when we, as men, have a responsibility to call each other out when we get out of hand. It’s an act of fraternal kindness, a desire for what is truly good for each other, and an act of authentic Christian charity. This applies even if this is an uncomfortable thing to do or if it deals with an uncomfortable topic – perha...