Addiction

Addiction

MY QUESTION for GOD

How can God break the power of addiction in my life?

A MOMENT with GOD

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.

1 Corinthians 6:12

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2

You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

1 John 4:4

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Who in their right mind would volunteer to become a slave, chained forever to a life of bondage? That’s exactly what addiction is: self-imposed slavery. It’s selling yourself into a lifetime of bondage to a habit or substance. While we often think of addiction as a problem related to drugs or alcohol, there are other addictions that are just as destructive. You can become addicted to laziness, watching television, playing computer games, eating unhealthy food—the list goes on and on. You can even become addicted to good things, like exercising too much or eating too much health food. We all have our addictions, whether they are simply bad habits or serious dependencies. Sin is the worst addiction. Like other addictive habits or substances, sin often appears alluring and attractive and promises short-term pleasure. You can easily justify giving in just this once, thinking you have things under control. But soon you realize that your “one time” has turned into a habit you can’t stop. It now controls you. As with other addictions, sin often results when you lose your self-control. Ironically, the only way to recover self-control is to let God control you. His control is always for your benefit and for your spiritual growth. God can break the power of any addiction you are struggling with when you give him control of your life. It is imperative that you admit your addiction and acknowledge its destructiveness. God often works through other people to help you. It is almost impossible to overcome addiction by yourself; you need the consistent support of people who love you enough to tell you the truth and hold you accountable. But you must also hold yourself accountable to God’s way of living, as written in the Bible. This will keep you close to God, and he will work in your life to change your heart and desires. Surrender to the Holy Spirit, and God will replace addictive impulses with life-affirming desires. While it is important to seek the help of others, it is only with God’s help that you will have the ultimate power to overcome addiction.

DIVINE PROMISE

You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. Romans 8:9