Have you been dealing with an addiction for years and haven't been able to change it? Maybe it's an addiction to smoking, alcohol, pornography or destructive relationships. Most of the advice we hear tells us to simply fight against it. Other sources simply shame readers into stopping. Ironically, shame is the very impetus that keeps people from changing.
The hardest part of struggling with sin is the struggle itself and the shame that results. If you are fighting your sin by your own power, you will fail. Using strict self-control will simply result in the flesh fighting against the flesh. It won’t work. The Apostle Paul talks about this power struggle in Romans 7. Paul does not do what he wants to do (good), but keeps on doing evil. What is the solution? Christ Jesus who delivers us from sin.
1. The first thing you can do is surrender it to Christ. Upon doing so, you surrender your belief in your ability to overcome your issue. All the willpower and self-condemnation in the world will never be enough to change yourself. In fact, it will do more harm than good. Trying to resist will only increase shame and make your addiction fight back harder.
2. The second tactic is to find healthy outlets where you can feed your soul through healthy outlets. You will be more effective in recovery by crowding out the bad with the good.
3. The third tactic you can implement is discover what you are trying to numb with your addiction. The reason why people use addiction is to numb negative emotions. It is entirely possible that a part of you is trapped in the past when something traumatic occurred around the time the addiction started. Bringing this part into the light and grieving any unfinished business will bring incredible healing. This can be done through counseling, support groups, and finding various resources and books that can lead you through the process.
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The hardest part of struggling with sin is the struggle itself and the shame that results. If you are fighting your sin by your own power, you will fail. Using strict self-control will simply result in the flesh fighting against the flesh. It won’t work. The Apostle Paul talks about this power struggle in Romans 7. Paul does not do what he wants to do (good), but keeps on doing evil. What is the solution? Christ Jesus who delivers us from sin.
1. The first thing you can do is surrender it to Christ. Upon doing so, you surrender your belief in your ability to overcome your issue. All the willpower and self-condemnation in the world will never be enough to change yourself. In fact, it will do more harm than good. Trying to resist will only increase shame and make your addiction fight back harder.
2. The second tactic is to find healthy outlets where you can feed your soul through healthy outlets. You will be more effective in recovery by crowding out the bad with the good.
3. The third tactic you can implement is discover what you are trying to numb with your addiction. The reason why people use addiction is to numb negative emotions. It is entirely possible that a part of you is trapped in the past when something traumatic occurred around the time the addiction started. Bringing this part into the light and grieving any unfinished business will bring incredible healing. This can be done through counseling, support groups, and finding various resources and books that can lead you through the process.
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