FAMILY RESOURCES
AM I BEING MANIPULATED?
During any of these confrontation with a substance abuser who is quite practiced at Sympathy Manipulations, you may find yourself backing off, telling him or her that you love them, that they are worthy, and that you didn’t mean to be critical.
BOUNDARIES
Boundaries are not just for avoiding bad behavior, they are also a tool to focus on positive behavior.
DELUSION
Delusion can strike in any area of our life. But God’s truth relates to every problem we face. God’s truth speaks to every false belief. The path to real life is not down fantasy lane. Real life is when we face God’s truth, and begin to apply it in our daily living.
DRUG ABUSE INTERVENTION
Is your loved one in denial about the severity of their drug or alcohol abuse? Have you tried to talk to them about their problem, but they’re unwilling to accept help?
ENABLING
Enabling behavior, simply put, shields people from experiencing the full impact and consequences of their behavior. Enabling is different from helping and supporting in that it allows the enabled person to be irresponsible.
FORGIVENESS
True forgiveness frees you to move on with God. Don’t stay stuck in your damage and brokenness. If you forgive others, God will do the same to you and enable you to move ahead with him
LIVING WITH GUILT
Don’t let the power of other people’s condemnation rob you of God’s peace. Fix your eyes on Jesus—He is not a condemning God.
LOSING CONTROL
To understand your assumptions about control, it helps to understand what you’ve been telling yourself about it. Your need to control grows out of your experiences, and how they affect your thinking and decision making.
RAISE THE BOTTOM
You can’t force your loved one to get help, but you can “raise the bottom” so they come face to face with reality sooner. It’s a painful process, but “raising the bottom” will bring the benefits of healing so much faster.
RESTORING TRUST
Trust makes us vulnerable to the other person. For you to restore trust when you have been hurt so many times before may be very hard. And there are no guarantees of the future. You may get hurt again.
THEY WON'T LOVE ME
The truth is, you can’t buy love. You can’t earn love. True love is given—freely and unconditionally. But wait—not unconditionally—mature love is given obediently!
WHEN PEOPLE HURT YOU
The normal response to someone who curses you is to curse them back. When we do that we fall into the same sinful gutter the other person is already in. We stoop to their level.
WHEN THEY DON'T WANT HELP
You know how painful it is to watch your loved one heading down a destructive path. And it’s easy to get frustrated when you don’t see any change. But thousands of others have been where you are at—and have seen God’s miracle take place in their loved one.
SUGGESTED READING – BOOKS
THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE: is the story of David Wilkerson’s first five years in New York City. It tells the unforgettable story of God’s tender mercy and love to New York City teenagers through David Wilkerson’s ministry and shows the beginnings of the ministry that would eventually be called Teen Challenge.
You can buy on
RUN BABY RUN: is the story of Nicky Cruz, one of David Wilkerson’s earliest converts. After years as a warlord in a vicious New York City gang, Nicky tells the dramatic testimony of his desperate battle against drugs, alcoholism and his violent environment.
You can buy it on
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
TEEN CHALLENGE USA: The Teen Challenge national office has many helpful resources as well as contact information and answers to many of the questions you may have about Teen Challenge. Visit them at:
iTEENCHALLENGE.ORG:
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY: provides relevant Christian advice on marriage, parenting and other topics. Find practical resources for every age and lifestage. Visit them at:
