Addiction

Addiction.
It's scary. It can bring a sense of hopelessness, and hide the true hope that lies in Christ. It's when it becomes the thing we fall on our knees to, instead of Christ, that the real danger surfaces. It sneaks into our lives in the dark, and robs us of the joy promised to us. Soon that addiction spreads throughout the rest of our lives until it has infected each part with its poison.

Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Romans 13:14

The true beauty of our Savior is that no matter the type of addiction, or the amount it has taken over, we are promised freedom. Addictions have been one of my worst enemies for so long. There are many that I have overcome, but there are still many I struggle with each and every day. My biggest fears always lays in those initial moments of trying to pull away. The anxiety that would wash over me always seemed too much to bear.  An instant fear that I was too weak would overpower me.

Ah, weak. The world has twisted our view of weakness. We live in a world where every corner we turn we are told, "Find your inner strength!" Well, that isn't what God has told us. Although I'm sure Satan would love for me to fall for these beliefs because then it would be easy for him to take me down. I have two verses to turn to in these times.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

As far as those fears and the anxiety I experience are concerned. 

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

I certainly have always struggled with fear of failure. I want to share with you this clip from a sermon by Matt Chandler. In less than two minutes, he reminds us of how God wants us to keep pressing. No addiction in the world could possibly separate us from Him. Nothing. He loves us no matter what we struggle with. All He asks is we continue to seek Him.

As one last note, I'm praying for you. For those who read this and think, "that's me." I'm praying for you to realize that all you have to do is surrender it all to Him, our healer. Lastly, I'm praying that you realize how big His grace really is, and how much He loves you. 

Image Created By Emily Gibson