Skip to main content

You Can Quit

Addiction is not just a chemical dependency

Having an addiction doesn’t have to be a physiological dependency on chemical substances. Simply defined, an addiction is any habitual occupation or involvement in any behavior or appetite that controls you. A person can become addicted to food, sex, gambling, smoking, work and many other things, and when they do these addictions must be dealt with like any other addictions.

So, how can we regain control over our life from some addiction? Our first step is to turn over control of our life to Jesus Christ. Once we do this we have the Holy Spirit living within us giving us strength and victory over our sinful behaviors. We can only have victory over sin through a personal relationship with Jesus.

Any addiction that robs a person of self-control is a problem of the whole person – spiritual, emotional, physical and social. Addictions begin by our seeking relief from the pain, pressure, or some void in our daily lives. That hunger for whatever we use to resolve our problem and provide our temporary comfort will never resolve our issues, or help us deal with life and its trials. Our inadequacies, faults and problems only become intensified by our addictive behavior. That good person we once were can change into someone even we don’t recognize. It can be real scary.

Addictions cause a person to blame others or blame a circumstance, to deny they have a problem. This denial leads to deviousness and dishonesty which is required to cover up the addiction. Admitting you have a problem is your first giant step to overcoming any addiction. Confessing that problem to God comes next. Help is then on the way.

God’s plan for recovery is fair. In [Ezekial 18:30-32] the Lord says, “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies.” God’s plan is to prosper you not harm you [Jeremiah 29:11].

The first step in overcoming any addiction is to admit you have a problem and be willing to accept help. When you do this you are taking responsibility for your actions admitting you are not capable of dealing with your addiction alone and that you need help. For Christians, confession and repentance are critical for taking responsibility for problems. Confess the problem to God then ask your pastor or a mature believer in Christ for help.

You will be successful! You can quit your addiction.

Popular posts from this blog

God’s Family

He provides resources for the family “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those whom call upon You” (Psalm 86:5). God’s plan for marriage and the family, in the Bible, is intended to be ideal, full of prosperity for every member. Would you say this describes your family? Maybe, maybe not, however, even if your family has missed His mark His Word deals with life realistically. Many of us experience some aspect of failure or serious disappointment with the way our family is living. Many families today are divided by divorce or living as single-parent family units. God alone can provide the needed resources and the loving care vital for the needs of these families who are dealing with life. If you are having trouble in your family turn to Jesus. He is your primary resource for forgiveness and your hope for renewal (Ephesians 1:7).   He forgives no matter if the failure is yours or it is one of those times when someone else fails yo...
Read more

God never changes who He is

The popular cry of the people here in America today is for “change.” Yet in some parts of the world there are those who use all means, including terrorism to resist it. There are some people who are determined to leave ancient traditions, and often times, corruptible governments just as they are, and have been for hundreds of thousands of years. Many of these nations do not recognize God. God is always the same; today, tomorrow, and forever. He never changes; this knowledge about Him enables us to have total reliability in Him. His character is as follows: God is omnipotent . All power is His, and nothing is beyond His control. He enforces His perfect will. He is unstoppable by any force in heaven or on earth! God is omnipresent. He is everywhere imaginable and unimaginable all at the same time! No person or place is beyond His presence. Space and time are before Him always. He determines everything for all places and all persons. God is omniscient. All that is happening to all ...
Post a Comment
Read more

By His Authority

God has given His authority. God’s plan for authority has been given to His people: authority in the church (1 Peter 5:1-2) which says, “shepherd the flock of God which is among you;” authority in the home (Colossians 3:18-25,) “Wives submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord, as is fitting in the Lord;” authority in your workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9) “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters…; and authority in civil government (Romans    13:1-7) “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God….” Authority as planned by God seems awkward and unfitting in today’s societies – not that His plan is inappropriate, certainly this is not true. It is more that people have deviated from God’s plan to what seems more suited to their personal lives for whatever reasons they justify. It is it any wonder we have dysfunctional families, government and na...
Post a Comment
Read more