I Have A "Friend" Caught In Addiction

Job 22:21-25 (MSG) “Give in to God, come to terms with Him and everything will turn out just fine. Let Him tell you what to do; take His words to heart. Come back to God Almighty and He’ll rebuild your life. Clean house of everything evil. Relax your grip on your money and abandon your gold-plated luxury. God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine.”

In the world of ‘addictions’ these verses make SO much sense!! If only we would actually DO this!! LOL 

For me, and my addiction to food, which started in addictions to other things before food. Yes, I was addicted to several things before I subsisted those things and turned to food. Basically, I just transferred my addictions actually, to food and beverage.

I can remember clearly the day I actually DID these verses, but didn’t know these verses were in the bible. I had hit my bottom so to speak, when my doctor wanted to schedule me for FOUR different surgeries, due to weight related issues. I had a “come to Jesus” moment right there in that doctor chair (actually on the paper wrapped bench thingy). To others, on the outside, they say I didn’t “look” that big. That I didn’t “seem” to have a food problem, at least when they were around me. To me, ‘coming to terms’ with God, is ‘confession’ – and that means totally everything! Laying it ALL out on the line for Him. Even though it was super scary, and even humiliating at just how far I had sunk in this addiction, coming clean and laying it all at His feet – WOW it was super freeing! I still had the outward appearance of my poor choices, but my inner heart was different. These verses spell out almost exactly what I did: confess it all to Him and come to terms with my choices; let Him guide me and tell me what to do (even though I am pretty sure I have said in rebellion “you can’t tell me what to do!”); started reading His word and taking the promises personally; started spending quality time with Him, and rebuilding the relationship we had; CLEANED out all of the junk foods in our home (sugar is evil LOL); and I actually relaxed my ‘grip’ on the things I thought were important and special, luxurious even – the things that fed my addiction. I realized through this time, which did NOT all happen overnight, that God was OK with me taking the time I needed to do all of this. Yes, of course, He wanted me to just do it cold-turkey, but He was gentle and loving enough to let me go at my pace.

The very last verse “God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine” is really true for me now! He is WAY better than anything I stuffed in my face or drank! He is also WAY better than all of the ‘stuff’ I tried hiding from and not addressing. Things from my past. Emotions buried. Habits ignored… the list goes on and on. That old saying about reading is how we gain knowledge and wisdom, and how the world can be changed by those that read… well, is WAY more true than we think! Reading God’s word, the bible, is the BEST way to learn about everything in life! No kidding!! Sure, the names and places are a bit different, but the “heart” the “will” the “rebellion” the “actions” are all the SAME today!! I mean if you have ever been drunk, I mean REALLY drunk, just read Proverbs 23:29-35 – the perfect example of being so caught up in an addiction and then at the end saying, “where’s another___?!”

Addictions are NOT easy to break, nor are they actually fun. However, we all have SO many of them that we are caught up in. So, today – if you are READY to be free from that bondage and control – then I beg you to go to God with ALL of it! Maybe you are not even sure if you have an addiction to something or someone – ask, He will guide and direct you. That is the neat thing about having the Holy Spirit – God talks directly to us through the Holy Spirit, and it normally makes sense and is something we CAN do, even if it is hard.

Take courage today. Let God rebuild your life! Relax your grip on stuff. Jesus is richness in SO many ways, better than anything we can accumulate here on earth! Addictions take on MANY different forms, but we CAN be freed of them! People around us, can sometimes "see" the truth of our addiction better than we can. Be courageous and 'ask' someone what they see in you (if you really are unclear). If you "have a friend" that is stuck in an addiction, Jesus is waiting at the door, for them/us to just open it and invite Him in. He is a house-guest like no other! He will NOT wear out His welcome! I’m praying for you today! Be well, be safe, and be blessed!