The decision to stop cutting is not an easy one to make. Yet, in order for them to be successful, the decision needs to come from the person that struggles with it. The individual has to own the personal decision in order for change to start taking place. There is hope for a new way of living, but the individual has to declare his or her own right to walk in freedom.

As this decision is made, it is beneficial for the individual to set himself or herself up to win by establishing new boundaries and setting guidelines to help them when they face temptations that will lead them to old behavior.

FOUNDATION FOR AN EFFECTIVE ACTION PLAN

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4 to “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” and to “be made new in the attitude of your minds” (v. 22-23, NIV). It is up to us to make a personal decision to leave the old habits behind and start practicing new ones. Our minds must be renewed, according to Romans 12:2. We must put aside the old nature and start living in our new nature in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

In Him there is hope, life, and a new beginning. Therefore, it is vital to prepare our mind for action through His Word, but we also need to practice new habits. For this reason, the following proposed checklist has been put together to help such individuals prepare for their journey towards freedom. The person seeking freedom from cutting can ask themselves the following statements and use them as guidelines to ensure that a plan has been put in place. The better the plan of action is, the better equipped the person will be to stand up against the storms of life.

Write it out specific answers to the following questions, avoiding general statements such as, “When I’m tempted I will call someone.” Your plan will be more successful and more strategic if you were to say, “When I’m tempted, I will call Lisa at the following telephone numbers…” These answers are your plan of action.

ACTION PLAN QUESTIONS

• Have I made a personal decision to stop hurting myself?
• Have I chosen to surrender my desires to “cut” to the Lord and allow Him to help me through this process?
• Have I told at least two other people that I am going to stop hurting myself and have I asked them to hold me accountable? (I will consider them my accountability group.)
• Have I discussed with my accountability group what I need and expect from them as I walk through this journey? Are they aware of what they need to do, say, act, or hold me accountable to whenever I am being tempted?
• Have I established how often I will meet or “check in” with my support system (accountability partner[s]) during my journey?
• Have I made a decision to confess and not hide my temptations and/or sins from God and my accountability group? James 5:16 (NIV) says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
• Have I decided to seek out help before being tempted while I still have strength, not waiting until the midst of a struggle?
• Clean House: Have I collected all of my “cutting” objects and disposed of them myself, or have I given them to my accountability support system?
• Have I built or started working on building a solid emotional support system of friends, family, and/or professionals that I can go to if I feel like hurting myself?
• Do I have at least two people in my life that I can call or visit if I ever want to hurt myself? Do I have their home and cell phone numbers handy?
• Have I put together a list of at least ten things I can do to wait out the wave of temptation instead of hurting myself?
• Do I have a list of places to go if I need to leave my house in order to not hurt myself?
• Have I thought of not putting myself in situations that will cause me to be tempted to cut? If so, what are my boundaries?
• Am I committed to being honest and open about my feelings with my accountability group, not withholding the truth from them?
• As an exercise to work on expressing my feelings, will I journal (at least twice a week) about how I “feel” and whether that “feeling” helped or tempted me to hurt myself? Will I practice sharing my “feelings” with my support system?
• Am I willing to feel uncomfortable, frustrated, and angry, but approach these challenges with God’s Word and accept His Truth? (See “Who I am in Christ” Scripture list)
• Have I made a decision to not give up but to persevere no matter how tough it may get, because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)?
• Have I committed to not call myself bad names or label myself with negative thoughts, especially when I make mistakes? Instead, I will confess, declare, and accept the truth of God found in His Word. (Use “Who I am in Christ” Scripture list.)
• Do I commit to declare and accept my FREEDOM in Christ, no matter how long it takes me to walk in it? Will I make a decision to be patient with myself, as Christ is patient with me?
• Will I devote some time to take care of myself, enjoy walks, practice favorite hobbies, listen to music, read Christian books, journal, etc., as I need it to relax?
• Have I accepted the fact that I am not perfect, but I am being changed through Christ (Philippians 3:12)?
• Have I committed to acknowledge God as my supreme help every day through prayer, Bible reading, scripture meditation and memorization, worship, and/or devotional readings?

HOW TO HELP

*You are welcome to republish this article once you include the following text and link at the end of the article:

Read youth culture news, youth ministry articles, and join the fight for America’s young people at http://www.battlecry.com