For some time now, I’ve been sharing about the Celebrate Recovery meetings with a general invitation such as, “Please joins us at First Baptist Church’s Celebrate Recovery, a safe place to address your hurts, habits and hang-ups in the context of a Biblically based 12-step program.” That’s great, but…what exactly do we mean by “hurts, habits and hang-ups?”

Generally, a hurt, habit or hang-up could be something or some things keeping you from realizing and achieving your fullest potential as a person. Hurts, habits and hang-ups can throw you off of God’s plan and toss you into a worldly detour headed toward destruction, depression and despair.

A “Hurt” could be some life experience or experiences that perhaps damaged your emotional health. It may have even been an offense against you, or even something you couldn’t keep from happening in your life. These hurts maybe crippling your ability to deal with the world in a healthy way. Or, it could be something that twisted your view of yourself, God or others that’s unhealthy and unrealistic. These hurts could affect your relationships, your employment and your future. A few common hurts include:

Abandonment Abortion Neglect Abused as a child/adult by a spouse/employer/church

Adoption Rape Rejection Dysfunctional family (divorce, alcohol & drug abuse, rage)

Violence Rage

“Habits” tend to be those unhealthy patterns that often start as a perceived “remedy” for some problem in your life, but end up turning into a chronic bad behavior or even an addiction. Habits are the repeat, default scripts or things that you run to when the going gets tough and you’re not sure how to cope with reality. Some common habits are:

Abusive behavior Alcohol Bitterness Cheating, affairs, unmarried sex

Critical spirit Drugs Gambling Eating disorders

Homosexuality Gossip Isolation Self-mutilation

Sex addictions Lying Stealing Spending problems

Un-forgiveness Workaholism Busyness Wasteful pursuits

And lastly, “Hang-ups” are those road blocks that keep you from progressing further into God’s plan for your life. They are often shaped by some bent thinking you may have received as a child, or some unhealthy attitude you may have adopted as a means of coping with life’s challenges. Here are some common hang-ups we work out in our Friday night meeting First Baptist Church:

Anger Arrogance Anxiety Worry

Arrogance Fear Frigidity Codependency

Greed/Envy Impatience Bullying Body image problems

Bigotry Depression Laziness Control freaks

Pride Materialism Racism Guilt (false) and/or shame

Lack of self-control Perfectionism Procrastination Lack of trust in God

People pleasing Self-righteousness Self-condemnation

If we’re honest with ourselves, nearly everyone suffers from a hurt, habit or hang-up. Almost anyone can benefit from Celebrate Recovery! Please join us this Friday night as we work out our hurts, habits and hang-ups together. Worship starts at 7:00 followed by either a teaching or testimony. Open group sharing begins at 8:00. We have coffee and desserts directly after the meeting and we’re usually out by 9:30. If you’re ready to get real, and live up to your fullest potential, and have joy again, then C.R. is a safe place to gain healing and wholeness. God bless you, and see you soon! Friday nights @ 7 p.m. First Baptist Church, 408 College St. or FMI: 910-379-4033 nccelebraterecovery@gmail.com or check us out on Face Book: Celebrate Recovery, Clinton, NC.