Addictions and How to Deal with Them

   Addictions are not just a result of chemical imbalance or physiological factors. Addictions are a choice and psychology is a pseudo-science that attempts to understand humanity apart from sin and the Word of God. Moderation in all things, as the Word teaches (Phil 4:5, 1 Cor 9:25, Prov 25:28), is the solution to addictions and a guard against developing them. Sin is sin, not a psychological problem. We all have a choice; we can cry out for help: either to God or an idol, but we all have made choices with our will whether or not to develop addictions.

The Cleansing of the Inner Depths of the Heart

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.” ~ Proverbs 20:30 NKJV

      The blows and stripes referred to in this verse are accurate metaphors of the discipline that we must go through to be cleansed from strongholds and bad habits. In Christ Jesus we are forgiven from all sin, but we often have ungodly habits and strongholds of sin which must be beaten and wounded until they die.

      Our strongholds and bad habits are like cancers that tap into our soul’s “blood supply.” They drain the resources that are meant for our nourishment, peace, and joy. We can never break free from these strongholds without the Lord. Yes, we may break away from some bad habits, but we cannot eradicate the cancerous evil at its very root—only the strength of Christ can do that.

      Likewise as you pursue the wisdom of God, your natural, fleshly man must be beaten and wounded. Your natural inclinations of selfishness must be purged. The process will be painful for you are being separated from the aspects of your old nature which made up you. This process will span the entire length of your life: there will always be another stronghold or something to deal with while you are on this earth, BUT IN CHRIST YOU CAN CONQUER and OBTAIN THE PRIZE!

        As you walk through your life this week remember, dear friends in the Lord, that the blows and wounds—yea the purging of your soul—is necessary for your new life in Christ to continue to grow. Just as a plant must die some day; it will be replaced by another or perhaps many more plants; and the dead plant becomes fertilizer for the new plant. As you abide in Christ, the Lord must discipline you to make room for more of His Spirit and love: to plant new plants, new groves of vegetation that produce fruits of gentleness, love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control and more Christlike character traits where old ones of greed, hate, and condemnation once stood.

     Stand firm and embrace the Lord’s discipline (chastisement) for He is purging your inmost being!  Take Courage brothers and sisters, the Lord is your strength!

Habits

Habits

 

    At my GMA ceremony in high school a man preached a devotion on character and its relationship to habits. It is true that our character is formed by our habits. For example, if I always lie when my Mother asks me why I didn’t take out the trash, it will in turn create a bad character habit of lying when I want to “get out of” a tough situation. Likewise, if I invest time each day in mental, physical, and spiritual exercise I reap the rewards of clarity of mind, extra energy to get through my day, and spiritual peace.

 

    Your habits are important. Take a moment to consider what habits you need to get rid of or maybe some that you need to form.

 

Lord, give us the desire to form habits that will build the life that You desire us to have. Amen.

Get the Free E-book Extra Devotions Here

What Do you Let your Eyes be Enraptured with?

What Do you Let your Eyes be Enraptured with?

 

The light of the body is the eye

Luke 11:34 (KJV)

Context: Luke 11:33-36

      Your eyes are the light of your body. That is what Jesus said. O how important it is for us to pay attention to what we are reading, watching and who we are looking at! In the Proverbs, Solomon recognized the importance of the eyes when he said:

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

Prov 6:13-14 (KJV)

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

Prov 6:23-25 (KJV)

    It is because of God’s Word that we know what sin (what wrong and evil) is. Paul put it this way:

I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:7 (KJV)

    Watch your eyes. What you read determines how you think at what you believe. What you dwell on ends up coming out of your mouth. What you watch in entertainment quickly takes root in your heart. Lustful fantasies speedily turn you into nothing more than a loaf of bread (Prov 6:26). But if your eyes dwell on what is pure:

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalms 24:3-4 (KJV)

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psalms 119:9 (KJV)

I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. 4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

Psalms 101:2-8 (KJV)

Addictions

Addictions are not just a result of chemical imbalance or physiological factors. Addictions are a choice and psychology is a pseudo-science that attempts to understand the humanity apart from sin and the Word of God. Moderation in all things, as the Word teaches (Phil 4:5, 1 Cor 9:25, Prov 25:28), is the solution to addictions and a guard against developing them. Sin is sin, not a psychological problem. We all have a choice; we can cry out for help: either to God or an idol, but we all have made choices with our will whether or not to develop addictions.

 

Thought 248: Our Expectations from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 248

Our Expectations

    Are your expectations in line with the Word of God? In our modern culture, rationalism and humanism abound. Rationalism trusts the mind of its user—logic is its all-consuming idol. Humanism vaunts itself up as a form of atheism which contributes success to your actions and yours alone by saying that God had no role in helping or equipping you to accomplish or excel. Amidst a world full of scientific rationalists and self-confident humanists it is very easy to fall prey to their philosophies. Today, take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you to examine your heart for any false expectations you have and delve into the Word to learn what God’s proper expectations are for you.

Thought 235: Laziness from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 235

Laziness

 God has a plan for your life, but that plan includes valleys of shadow and mountains of revelation: hard times and easier times. Your human nature desires to find an easy way out of the hard times. Thus, laziness is a temptation and it can become a habit.

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. . . .The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.” Proverbs 10:4-5,9 KJV

The word of God says that if we deal with a slack had we will become poor, but the hand of the diligent prospers. The same Word says that all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty (Proverbs 14:23). Why did America become so rich as a growing nation? Because the people recognized that they were to work as unto God and not as unto man (Col. 3:23) and as they worked extremely hard, they reaped abundant harvests. This doesn’t mean that they never had crop failures or tight times, but God blessed their diligence and honor of His Word.

When greed and selfishness have snatched the heart of a man, he is in trouble whether he has one dollar or one million. It not only becomes hard for him to surrender all and come into eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but he opens himself up to get rich quick schemes, and the false philosophy of the “easy” life.

Do you deal with laziness habitual laziness in any area? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you do by taking few moments of prayer and silence to listen for His small, still voice.

 

 When tempted Remember that

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

If you are stuck in a habitual pattern Remember that

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV