Lesson 8: Creating Guardrails

🎯 Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of external boundaries for internal transformation.
• Identify weak spots where relapse is most likely.
• Learn how to create personal, relational, and financial guardrails.
• Develop a plan to reduce access and increase accountability.

🧠 Quote

“You don’t rise to the level of your intentions. You fall to the level of your systems.”
— James Clear

📖 Scripture

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
— Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

🎬 The Setup Matters

Shawn swore he’d stop gambling. He deleted his apps, promised his partner, and even joined a support group. But one night, alone and overwhelmed, he downloaded the app again. Why? Because nothing prevented him. He was relying on willpower instead of guardrails. Once he added blockers, shared his passwords, and removed access to funds, the temptation lost its grip. He realized recovery required more than good intentions—it required a plan.

🧠 Why Guardrails Work

Guardrails are protective systems that keep you from veering off course. They don’t eliminate temptation—but they make it harder to act on.

You can’t always control your urges, but you can control your access.

Guardrails are not a sign of weakness. They are a commitment to strength.

🛠 3 Types of Guardrails

1. 🖥 Digital

• Block gambling websites/apps using tools like GamBlock, BetBlocker, or Freedom.
• Set up parental controls on devices—even your own.
• Give a trusted person access to monitor or lock your settings.

2. 💰 Financial

• Remove yourself from managing shared funds (temporarily).
• Use cash-based systems to avoid card temptation.
• Appoint an accountability partner for major purchases or access to large sums.
• Cancel credit cards tied to compulsive spending.

3. 💬 Relational

• Tell someone when you feel tempted.
• Set “check-in” days with your sponsor or therapist.
• Avoid environments or people that normalize gambling.

✍️ Journaling Prompts

• Where do I have the easiest access to gambling?
• What’s one financial, digital, and relational guardrail I can add today?
• Who can I trust to help me reinforce these guardrails?

✅ Recovery Challenge: Build Your Guardrail Plan

Create a personal “Relapse Prevention Grid” like this:

🙏 Prayer for Protection and Wisdom

“God, I want to be free—but I know my strength alone isn’t enough. Help me be wise, not just willful. Please show me where I’m vulnerable. Teach me to build healthy boundaries—not out of fear, but out of faith in Your plan for my healing. Strengthen my resolve and give me the courage to ask for help. Amen.”

💡 Remember:

Guardrails aren’t punishment. They are protection.
They create space between impulse and action, and that space is where freedom grows.