Overcoming Addiction:

 Overcoming Addiction:

So many people today are struggling with different kinds of addictions; addiction to sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, masturbation, porn, etc. You name it. If you're struggling to overcome an addiction, the good news is you can do it with God's help.

Believing God's Word more than you believe what you think or feel. As a believer in Christ, you are "a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). And you "have strength for all things in Christ who empowers" you; you are "ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into you” (Philippians: 4:13).

Addictions will hold you captive for the rest of your life until you do three or four things:

You’ve got to own it: admit that you have a problem and that it is a sin. James 5:16 instructs us to "confess your faults to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." I remember beginning of this year I went for FNL Basketball at YMCA and I ended up drinking, did I mention I am a recovering addict, well I am. Telling my boyfriend about it, he was so disappointed in me and the look on his face screamed, “Winnie, how could you? I am so disappointed in you” But I couldn’t keep it a secret, I confessed my fault to him, I also accepted it was a problem and we prayed about it together, God listened, since then, I have even never thought of going back to the bottle.

Make a quality decision: that you will do whatever is necessary to be free from this ungodly behavior. There is a plan to freedom in James 4:7: "Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Most of these things require discipline, making a decision and sticking to it. Out of experience, it will not be easy, but you have to stick to your decision. Even when I had stopped the alcohol, quitting smoking wasn’t easy, but I did quit because I just decided to. But through it all, I learned that anytime we're willing to do what's right and we depend on God, His grace is activated in our lives to do it.

Cut off the supply line.  You know, certain things are creating this addiction, this pattern in your life.  You have to cut off the supply lines and, as you get it open, get some positive, good reinforcement in your life. 

Read your Bible: Everything is permissible for me -- but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me -- but I will not be mastered by anything" (I Corinthians 6:12). Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:1, 13).

Remember, there's nothing more valuable to you than your personal relationship with God and the time you spend with Him. Put Him first and you'll find that the power of God's Word will always prevail over the messes in your life. You don't have to settle for a life in bondage to any addiction, because in Christ, you can do it!