When a man attends the Every Man’s Battle Workshop, he quickly realizes that in order to put into practice the insights he learns there, changes will need to be made in his life. With so many foundational touchstones at his fingertips during the workshop, a man may be anxious about going right back into the reality of his life when the workshop ends. To equip him to begin to walk in freedom, here are 7 practical steps he can take immediately following Every Man’s Battle.
- Join a Sustained Victory Coaching Group.
Following the workshop, a man has to understand that the temptation he may currently feel strong enough to resist will inevitably return. Joining a weekly recovery group right away, rather than putting it off for a while, will ensure that the proper support is in place before resisting temptation starts to become difficult again. Sustained Victory Coaching Groups are weekly Zoom meetings with other men who have also gone through the workshop, led by a licensed coach. They provide a safe place for men to process sexual temptation and learn to recover from the shame that has so often led them right back to the sin they hate. - Review Notes and Resources.
It’s important to review any notes taken during the workshop, as well as the material that was presented during the main sessions. This reinforces what was learned and allows one’s brain to retain more of the information. There are also books suggested at the workshop that can be helpful to continued recovery, such as Every Man’s Battle or The Life Recovery Workbook for Sexual Integrity. - Clean House.
During or after the workshop, a man may realize that there are still things in his immediate life that can potentially lead him back to temptation. This could include certain movies he owns that contain sexually suggestive content, or access he still has to websites that need to be blocked. He can create a list of everything in his home or on his electronic devices that may be a stumbling block and begin to get rid of these items or block access to them through an accountability software. He may discover more items as he goes, but starting this process right after the workshop will help eliminate unnecessary temptation. - Get a Counselor.
In tandem with group work, a man coming out of sexual addiction needs someone to work with, such as a licensed Christian counselor, who can help him process his thoughts and feelings in a therapeutic environment. If he’s married, he may also need marriage counseling with his wife, especially if a disclosure of sexual sin is involved. It’s important, though, that he also has his own individual sessions, as his individual recovery will be one of the biggest helps to building trust with his wife. - Call Call Call.
A man needs to make sure he stays connected with the men he went through the workshop with, or other men he knows that are working on sexual integrity. This will not only help his own recovery, but also the men he is reaching out to. The easiest way to do this is to pick up the phone and call. It’s much easier to text someone in this day and age, but this does not provide enough connection to be sustainable in the long term. By talking on the phone and hearing the voice of someone going through the same fight, a man can be encouraged and practice being vulnerable with his weaknesses, which will continue to help him grow. - Have a Regular Quiet Time.
The workshop helps a man reconnect with God and begin to experience His love that overcomes shame. To continue this new relationship with God, a man needs to cultivate some regular time alone to focus on spiritual things. He can start small if this sounds like an overwhelming prospect. 10 minutes of reading Scripture a few days a week or 10 minutes of focused prayer before bed can begin to build habits that will solidify and increase in time. Keeping a journal to write down thoughts every few days and reviewing these things regularly can also help a man process his feelings and learn to deal with anxiety with the Lord’s help. - If You Fall, Get Back Up.
Even with all of these safeguards in place, there may come a time when a man falls back into old thinking or behaviors and has a fall back into sexual sin. The more support he has in place before this happens, the better, as the next best thing to do is to get back up. It’s easy to want to wallow in shame and guilt, but with the help of accountability, counseling, and God, a man can get right back on the road to recovery. A fall is not an utter failure but a lesson in getting back up.
While there are many suggestions for a man to begin his journey of recovery after the workshop, each man has to find out what works best for him. For help with any of these steps or resources, call 800-NEW-LIFE.
