Savage2Saint Sobriety Nov. 11th, 2023

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;" - John 14:16 (KJV).

Addiction has many faces. It ranges from drugs and alcohol to gambling and any other fleshly desire. Fear, anxiety, and doubt are all side effects of this problem which destroys families and rips us apart from our ability to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we give into our flesh and give it power and control over our lives, we allow it to consume us and bring us pain and suffering. To me, addiction is a demon that controls your thoughts, which leads to it controlling our heart, which leads to it controlling our actions. In the end, addiction leaves us bitter and broken. Completely isolated with our own thoughts of guilt and shame.

So how do we stop the madness of addiction once it has it's grip on us? It starts by giving God complete control of our lives. When addiction has knocked us flat on our backs and the only direction we have to look is up, we can cry out to God and He will hear us. We tried doing it on our own for years but always came up short. Almost, but not quite enough. It takes a total surrender to Him with a raw heart, ready for renewal. A sincere, "I can't take the way I've been living anymore. I need You." A Psalm 80:18 kind of prayer, "Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!" (ESV).

You have to say goodbye to your ego, pride and the need for control of your life. These are things that hold us back from experiencing the greatness of God's love. There's no feeling more precious and safer than the love of God. I promise you that every tear you have cried, every lonely road you have walked, and every prayer you have ever prayed has been heard because He has always been there. He will carry you through whatever trouble you are going through. He's just waiting for you to ask Him.

Remember, no one said it was always going to be easy. There are going be times when you get frustrated and want to turn back. What should you do in moments like this?

Breathe.

Just breathe. Your Comforter is right there with you. That is what the Holy Spirit is there for. To guide you and strengthen you when you feel lost and weak. You'll soon feel the stress go away and the confidence that recovery IS POSSIBLE will replace the "I can't do it" thoughts. Allow God to heal you. Give it all to Him...the tears, the triggers, the cravings, the dark thoughts. Most importantly give Him your heart. The One who has never left you is right there to help you through it all. You are not alone.