Isaiah 40:31

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

The hope and strength we find in the Lord is so invigorating and refreshing. Without this hope, my passion for healing and recovery did not exist. It was such a powerful action to admit my wrongdoing and move towards the Lord in a humble and broken spirit. This allowed me to find the hope that would renew my strength.

I was not fooled into thinking this was all I would need in order to move forward with a life of purity. While the Lord will renew my strength, Satan is only a moment away from tempting me, causing me to stumble and fall back into the clutches of sin. It was so vitally important that during this time of strength I made efforts to build up my resistance to such attacks. Paramount was my mental strength. So often before I was hindered by my mental state and lack of maturity that I could easily fall back into sin only because I did not control my thoughts and fantasies. By not addressing this issue the thoughts quickly gave way to temptation and I lost to sin so easily.

There were many other areas I worked on as well, including visually stimulating images, activities that triggered acting out, occupying free time. I had to use my strength wisely so that when tempted and even mentally attacked I could make moral choices with conviction. These choices were not always easy, and I still struggle at times, but the strength and hope gives me peace that I will not fall.