«Christ gives me the strength to face anything” (Philippians 4:13, CEV).
AS WE waited for our lunch, a friend told me a bit about his struggle with his addiction to beer. At one point in the conversation, he said, “People may believe me or not, but this is the truth about how I stopped drinking beer.
One day I went to God and told Him, ‘Lord, please, remove my craving for alcoholic beverages. From then on, I never drank any more beer. Jesus delivered me from that addiction.”
It is an almost unquestioned fact that we are all addicts. What are we addicted to? The possibilities are endless: We’re addicted to work, sex, video games, power, coffee, cell phones, television, shopping, being accepted by others, exercise . . . We all deal with addictions on a daily basis. We would be lying to ourselves if we denied it. But, what is an addict? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an addict as “one exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit forming substance, behavior, or activity. According to this viewpoint, addiction is a sort of small god who controls us; in other words, it imposes its relentless dominance over us.
Regardless of what daily addiction has been destroying our lives and the lives of those around us, it’s good to know we can obtain victory over it. To do so, we just need to do what my friend did:
(1) resort to God’s power and
(2) use self-control wisely. You might be thinking, “That’s my problem: I have no self-control.” Don’t worry.
Self-control is not a virtue that is part of our human condition, because we are by nature inclined to excess. Self-control is a gift that comes from God. Carefully read what the apostle says: “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, GNT). If you need power to control your addictions (rather than allowing them to control you), turn to Jesus—He will give it to you!
Although addictions appear to momentarily lift us up like a balloon, they actually sink us deeper into a dark abyss. Let’s not keep on trying to please that deadly yearning; let’s not insist on believing what we already know is a despicable lie. Let’s cling to this wonderful promise: “Christ gives me the strength to face anything” (Philippians 4:13, CEV).
* Merriam-Webster Dictionary, s.v. “addict,’ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addict
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernandez
