1. What to do when you are….
Justin Choi
November 7, 2008
2. The four situations
• There are four situations in which we will
make the most mistakes.
• These are the times when we will say or do
things that we will later wish we had not.
3. The four situations
• They are easy to identify and remember: HALT
• H= Hurt
• A = Angry
• L = Lonely
• T = Tired
5. H.A.L.T. = STOP!
• Why do we need to stop?
– Because these are times when we are most likely
to make mistakes.
– Because these are times when we will do
something we will later regret.
– Because these are times when we will do
something wrong.
6. H.A.L.T. = STOP!
• And how do I stop?
• How do I practice the H.A.L.T. Principle?
8. When you are hurt…
• Hurts come from the heart.
• What are some emotions we associated with
being hurt?
– Betrayed,
– sad,
– angry,
– frustrated,
– unwanted,
9. When you are hurt…
• First, STOP!
• You need to forgive and release.
– E.g. Last month, my friend and I were going to
meet to eat lunch. He did not show up. At first, I
thought he was late. Then ten minutes became
twenty, twenty became forty. He did not answer
his phone. In fact, he did not call me until four
hours later. He was very sorry, but I was still hurt a
bit.
11. When you are angry…
• What does it really mean to be angry?
• Injustice (n)
• Unjust (adj.)
• Offends your sense of right & wrong
12. When you are angry…
• When you are angry, remember :
• “A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Prov. 15:1
• “In your anger, do not sin: do not let the sun go
down while you are still angry…” – Eph. 4:26
16. When you are lonely…
• What can I do wrong when I am lonely?
– Feelings:
• Depressed?
• Rejected?
• Unloved?
– These feelings can lead us to do bad things:
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Pornography
• suicide
17. When you are lonely…
• STOP!
• Remember someone loves you.
– Parents, friends
– “For God so loved the world that he sent his one
and only Son…” John 3:16
• Alcohol, drugs, and pornography are only
substitutes. They cannot truly fulfill. In fact,
they can get you into trouble.
19. When you are tired…
• Not just physically tired (like after playing
sports or manual labor)
• But also
– mentally tired;
– emotionally tired;
– spiritually tired
20. When you are tired…
• English phrase: “Just sleep on it.”
– Means when you are working on a difficult
problem and cannot see the solution, wait a day
and you will have a new perspective.
• Sleep has refreshing abilities.
• “energize” = putting in more energy
21. When you are tired…
• Sometimes, we are tired because what we
used to like very much has become boring;
instead of making us feel strong, it makes us
feel weak.
• Think back to why you started this.
– E.g. law school, medical school, army commando
22. Someone bore our burdens
• “… He was despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from
whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we
esteemed him not.
• “Surely he took our infirmities and carried our
sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.”
