A GOD-SIZE PROBLEM

Read: 1 Peter 5:7

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." ( 1 Peter 5:7 ) NIV

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Bible in a year:

Thoughts for Today

Enablers work hard to shield their loved ones from the consequences of
self-destructive choices. As a result, the enabler brings pain upon themselves that really belongs to their loved one.

In their well-intentioned efforts to help, enablers may

lie for their loved one
allow abusive behaviors
hide the truth from relatives and friends
defend their loved one when others point out problems
help them with legal difficulties
change the home environment to accommodate the person with the problem
refuse to discuss the problem with anyone


Consider this …

It is difficult to stop enabling a loved one because we don't like to admit that we have no power to change another person. As we take on responsibility—and control—of our loved one, our focus is on "fixing" them. But only God can transform lives. This is a God-size problem, not one we can fix. And we need to step back, to give our worry and anxiety to God, and to trust him.

If we don't come to the realization that we have no power to change another person, enabling will progress to a condition known as codependency. Codependents take ownership of another person's problems, get their sense of well-being from managing the behavior of the dependent person, and end up being controlled by the person they are trying to help.

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Living Free Every Day® is a ministry of livingfree.org

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