181. Help Starts With Surrender

181. Help Starts With Surrender

What drives someone to seek a life without doing it all in their own strength? This Hope in Recovery episode zooms in on that tension, with Andy Petry unpacking what it really means to stop fixing yourself and start surrendering. Andy, a grateful believer in Jesus who shares openly about his struggles with anxiety, depression, sexual addiction and grief, uses a surprisingly funny yet spot‑on story about a rat in his house to make the point.

For days he tried every trap and trick he knew, only to end up with glue all over the house, a half‑shaved dog, and zero progress. The turning point came when he finally admitted, "I have no idea what I'm doing here. And I need help," and called an exterminator. From there, he links the rat saga to recovery: recognising a problem is one thing; admitting "I'm powerless to control this" is something very different.

Andy talks through the lies many people believe: *I have to fix this myself*, *if I fail, I am a failure*, or *asking for help means losing respect*. He contrasts guilt ("I've done something bad") with shame ("therefore I am bad") and shows how those shame stories keep people stuck in self‑effort.

Rooted in Celebrate Recovery and centred on Christ, Andy anchors the conversation in scripture, including John 15’s picture of Jesus as the vine, and 1 Peter 5’s call to "cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." He reminds anyone battling hurts, hang‑ups or habits that needing help is part of being human, and that God "gives grace to the humble" rather than rewarding stubborn self‑reliance.

If you’re tired of rearranging the traps in your life and seeing no change, this episode might nudge you to ask: what’s the “rat” you’re still trying to handle alone, and who could you reach out to today?