Perhaps the first step in your journey to recovery from addictions is to admit you haven’t believed that God is enough. There’s no shame in making such a confession if that’s your truth. However, once you’ve acknowledged a lack of faith or limited understanding of who God is, you are responsible for doing something about it.
No one can force truth down your throat, nor is God going to place a spiritual feeding tube in you. You have to want it and you have to get it yourself. There’s plenty of spiritual food to go around. At church, your pastor is at the pulpit preaching his guts out. Your Bible is full of the inspired Word of God. If you have doubt, then you would be wise to become obsessed with scripture about faith, the heroes of faith, and hang around people who consistently demonstrate faith.
Whether you lack faith, don’t fully understand Christian principles, or are just being stubborn, your only hope in overcoming your addictions and living a blessed life is to completely surrender to God. And, you must start claiming and believing that God is truly enough.
You can resist all you want or whine about how your situation is harder or worse than everyone else’s, but God can’t be manipulated by your tears, fears, or false promises. And if you believe that your addiction is stronger than his power to set you free, then your message to the world is that Christ’s suffering on the cross was meaningless to you.
The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon is a template for recovery within the churches. With our website (www.thesolidrockroad.com) and book titled "Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery" people can learn to fight and win the battle for their souls, and for the souls of others. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
This is a good message for those who are hindered by being wishy-washy, but who DO have a basic grasp of both faith and also that God is truthful reality in terms of the real world. Many addicts, though, cannot fully turn to God until deficiencies in their often myth based and "magical thinking" perceptions both of God and the real world are remedied. People cannot surrender that God is enough so long as their mental logic considers that non-God forces are equally plausible explanations. Hope my observation (based on both psychiatric counseling and spiritual directing) is helpful!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your blog and I for one would much rather live in freedom than in bondage to my addictions. I remember telling myself i can't imagine my life without my cigarettes and coffee. Then it soon became, I can't imagine my life without my cigarettes, coffee and shopping. After awhile I found myself saying, I don't want to live without my cigarettes, coffee, shopping and gambling. Towards the end it was I can't live without my cigarettes, coffee, shopping, gambling, prozac, and xanex. After I completely exhausted myself by living a pathological existence, I turned back to the God of the Bible where I had to submit to his perfect plan of redemption and restoration. Coming off of the xanex was the most hellish experience I have ever known, I nearly suffered a breakdown. By submitting to the word of God on a daily basis I was set completely free by the power of God. My deliverance did not come over night, for me, it took approximately two years for God to break down the strongholds of mind. And to heal me from the effects of xanex. My coping skills were shot. Today I am free, sound mind and strong emotionally. Perfect no, free yes. I say the bigger the battle the greater the victory. There is nothing like living in victory. I have read your book and it is so sound and hits right to the core of our problem. If someone wants to break thru..they can..and they will with Gods help and Godly counsel... It won't be easy, but if you want to know true freedom and joy than just do it!! Buy the book!! Thank you Jamee!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I really needed to read this. Speaking right into my situation. God Bless
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Anonymous. I enjoyed your comments and it's good to connect with the like-minded!
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