Tuesday , October 15 2024

Addictions….A Step Towards God

By Terry Hoskins –
Addictions-A Step Towards GodTruth leads us to reality
The first step into freedom from an addiction begins with facing the truth. You must be willing to face and accept reality. Are you willing to take a look at your life as it really is? Or do you want to continue down the path of self deception that will eventually rob you of everything that is precious to you? If you are an addict, your perception of reality has been skewed because truth has been the farthest thing from your mind. The focus of importance has been on how to get the next drink or hit, to forget, leave, ignore, or avoid reality. This type of living enslaves us more to what we will call the “Self-Life.” “Self-Life” can be defined, “as an intense focus on self.” The world revolves around “Self” which is driven by cravings and desires that please “Self” with an unquenchable burning for more.
An addiction is confined to a love/hate relationship because it promises so much, yet the payoffs are moments of pleasure for copious amounts of pain and suffering. For a time an addiction worked for you because it was under your control or at least this is the lie you believed. When the addiction intensifies, as you plunge deeper into sin and darkness, and it spins out of control. As your addiction spins out of control, you may find that you come to the point of sacrificing everything and everyone to get your way. Everything from the trust of your loved ones, the well being of your children, respect in your workplace all becomes an afterthought compared to reaching your momentary fix. It sickens you as your conscience pleads with you to stop, but your craving to do it one more time overcomes better judgment as the struggle spirals deeper into darkness.
Window of opportunity
The window of opportunity for change comes when God allows you to see the destruction you are bringing on yourself and others. This is a good place for you to be because by God’s grace you are willing to look outside yourself for lasting help. This brings us to the beginning of a new way of living as God draws us to Himself! Jesus says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV) Jesus tells us that we are blessed when we finally come to the conclusion that we are spiritually helpless. When we realize we need to depend on God instead of ourselves! God’s Word tell us that “he who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.” (Proverbs 28:26, NIV)
Welcome to God’s upside down kingdom
Then he (Jesus) said to them all, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24, NIV) Christ tells us to live we must die to our cravings and desires. We are
deceived when we think that alcohol or drug issues are the real problem. Jesus says the person must be changed from the inside out. The root of any problem begins with your heart and mind. Setting your heart and your thoughts on Jesus and allowing His saving power to transform your life is the way to real change. This supernatural change can only be done by God Himself. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and seek hard after God through obedience to His Word and His ways.
Addictions lead us to problems, suffering, and pain which God allows to get our attention. We usually aren’t desperate enough to give God the time of day otherwise. How sad it is that God’s creation won’t listen to Him. It is through pain and agony of addictions that some of us will turn to the Real Healer and experience true and lasting change. God calls us all, yet only a few will listen because most of us are too busy or strong beating our addictions our own way. In the end it will lead to same old story until we turn to God and allow Him to change us forever. “God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!” (Matthew 5:3, CEV)

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