Free How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) by June Hunt Page B

coaches. She admits, “There are times when the last thing I feel like doing is running another mile…” And that is why she has a coach who pushes her “farther and harder than I ever think I (or any human!) can go.” 65
    Through a caring, supportive network, God has shown Bethany that

“two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
    (E CCLESIASTES 4:9-10).

    Many who have struggled with and overcome temptation say, “I couldn’t have made it without someone holding me accountable. God knew that’s what I needed!”
    But at times having an accountability partner isn’t effective. Why? Because many strugglers hope no one will ask them specifically how they are doing in the area of their habits and addictions.
    Asking specific questions is a key component of effective accountability. Strugglers need to know that they are going to be asked targeted questions. They also need to know they will have someone trustworthy to hold them accountable. The Bible says,

“If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted”
    (G ALATIANS 6:1).

    Accountability Questions
    Since we last spoke:
     
    1. Have you done anything that pricked your conscience?
    2. Did you practice any undisciplined behavior?
    3. Did you engage in any addictive behavior? Have you performed any other addictive behavior?
    4. Have you done anything to violate any boundary? Have you set a boundary and kept it?
    5. Has anything caused your thought life to stray? What steps will you take to avoid justifying the habit?
    6. Did you find yourself in a compromising situation recently? How did you respond?
    7. What beliefs about yourself and others have been conveyed through your recent habits (bad or good)?
    8. What area of your life do you think God most wants you to change? What steps have you taken to make that change a reality?
    9. What good habits do you believe God wants to develop in your life? What steps have you taken to see those habits become a reality?
    10. Is there a part of your life that you’ve held back from God that you need to surrender?
    11. Is there something you hope I won’t ask about?
    12. What is God telling you to do? What are you going to do about it?
     
“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy”
    (P ROVERBS 28:13).

    Additional Questions
    • In what areas do you sense a need for change?
    • Have you been pure in your thought life?
    • Do you need to confess any sin?
    • How has your spiritual life been? Have you been praying regularly?
    Note to Mentors: Any of these questions can be deleted or exchanged for other questions. During the first session, ask the one who wants victory to select three or four questions most appropriate for their struggle.
     
    – Ask, “Are there specific areas where you know you need to be held accountable?”
    – After several sessions, ask, “How is this accountability working for you?”
    – “If our positions were reversed, what would you do differently if you were me?”

    Remember, Christ is shaping and maturing both of you through this time of accountability, and you want the struggler to be set free!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”
    (P ROVERBS 27:17).
G. How to Develop and Demonstrate Good Habits
    In 2010, Bethany Hamilton ranked twentieth on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s Tour. A legend in water-sports circles, her accomplishments may one day be eclipsed only by her efforts to minister internationally to the needs of those who, like her, have suffered a major setback in life.
    On a ministry trip to Thailand, for example, she helped traumatized orphans regain their courage to enter the water which, years before, devastated their country through a deadly tsunami. Her