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Welcome to CC! 
Addictions of any kind are strongholds of the enemy.
By the power of God and Jesus Christ you can be free of life killing habits.
Some of my quitting smoking testimony is here. You can do it, too!
http://christianchat.com/miscellaneous/134176-post-addicts-scolding-not-welcomed-2.html
Addictions of any kind are strongholds of the enemy. By the power of God and Jesus Christ you can be free of life killing habits.
Some of my quitting smoking testimony is here. You can do it, too!
http://christianchat.com/miscellaneous/134176-post-addicts-scolding-not-welcomed-2.html
Why do you think people look down on addictions?
When I say people it seems that secular thoughts on this have a more compassionate view than Christians although with a different attitude to dealing with it.
To me secular philosophy is a coping mechanism but I feel God wants to heal the addiction and the reasons why.
He did that with my severe gambling problem.
I do smoke and to be honest I don't like it. It's not a good witness and I don't smoke around other Christians (only those that know me and love me) but I have a fear of failure, if I didn't smoke for 3 days and on day 4 I some I carry on again. I've failed I'm a failure.
whats your thoughts
When I say people it seems that secular thoughts on this have a more compassionate view than Christians although with a different attitude to dealing with it.
To me secular philosophy is a coping mechanism but I feel God wants to heal the addiction and the reasons why.
He did that with my severe gambling problem.
I do smoke and to be honest I don't like it. It's not a good witness and I don't smoke around other Christians (only those that know me and love me) but I have a fear of failure, if I didn't smoke for 3 days and on day 4 I some I carry on again. I've failed I'm a failure.
whats your thoughts
I just want to say and I don't want to detract but just add something to this post.
Addiction takes many forms. Yet many people grade addictions, and I'm sad to say it the worst are believers and they grade sin. Truth is sin is sin and addiction is addiction.
In the eyes of God it's all the same. It's falling short of his standard. Lying is the same as theft as gossip as unforgiveness.
Generally when people grade addictions the biggies are smoking, alcohol and sex. What about watching too much T.V, eating too much, what at about caffeine, what about shopping therapy, the list could go on.
Now don't get me wrong, some addictions and sin will have different consequences than others.
I honestly don't think that believers who struggle with addictions that they can't overcome will be shut out of heaven.
A believer who truly does not want their addiction yet can't overcome it yet keeps bringing it before God has the spirit of God in them.
We have a tendency to focus on what we do rather than why we do it. That then leads to a mindset of prayer along the lines of God help me stop doing this. We then focus on what we do wrong and come to works based focus, which leads to guilt, which leads to self condemnation and stops us coming before God. Even if we do it's probably along the lines of "God I'm such a miserable failure, I do this, I do that and after a few minutes we give up and walk away with more guilt.
To me and from my experience we need to look at the reasons why we do what we do.
Just a quick testimony to illustrate what I'm trying to say.
I had a shocking upbringing. Never knew my father, only 2 awful memories. My mum threw me out when I was 14. I was fostered by a Christian couple only to find myself in the situation for next 5 years my foster dad tried every night to sexually abuse me. I kept in contact with them up to a few years ago (when they both died) only because I loved my foster mum. The situation was discussed at some point and my foster dad promised to stop yet he didn't. I kept it secret. My foster dad so I found out actually went to prison for previous offences of the same nature. Goodness knows how I was allowed to be fostered.
I suffered a severe gambling problem. I was bought up in a gambling environment, parents/grandparents taking us to pubs so they could play bingo, playing cards for money. I had a severe gambling problem. Even at a young age I remember playing slots and the pushy machines. Started from the age of 5 and escalated over the years.
I had an addiction to gambling, yet I hated it. Married with 4 kids. In my 30's/40's.
I tell you the truth I actually found myself in a gambling establishment and had no idea I was in that establishment. One minute I'm sat at my desk and an hour later I lost a lot of money. I even prayed over the door.
I would wake up at the same time every morning at 2 am with guilt and fear that I was going to hell. I even asked God to take my life. I hated my addiction with a passion.
For the last 6 years I have not gambled and not had the urge. What changed?
My focus. My focus was that I was a useless piece of dung. Unlovable, God would only love me and accept me if I conformed.
If I didn't gamble then God would love me.
I did the Freedom in Christ course. One thing that really hit me was in the eyes of God I am Secure, accepted and significant.
Jesus died for whilst I was sinner.
When I got this God spoke to me and said "I love you with your addiction, will you let me deal with why you have this addiction?
The above testimony was the reason for my addiction. God took me through the process of healing and forgiving. So much so that my mum and I have a truly mother son and relationship.
I thought when my foster dad would die then I would be free, God said to me you need to forgive him before he dies cause you won't be free when he dies. Go see them, don't tell him why your coming down to see them, I am going to walk with you and help you. So I did and it started the process. So much so that two weeks later when I had returned home I got a phone call from a hospital saying he had a severe stroke and had days to live could I come down. My initial thought was no but God said go.
So I did, I sat by his bed and prayed over him and for him, the last words he said to me "Take care of my estate" I said yes I will.
When I left his bedside I felt God say to me "Forgiveness complete, healing process well on the way but more importantly YOU ARE FREE.
To forgive is to set the prisoner free only to realise that the prisoner was you.
I have not gambled since, God dealt with effect of the cause. I'm actually in tears as I write this.
Thank you Jesus.
I am sorry if I have digressed or detracted from the post.
I just want to encourage us all not to judge or grade addiction/sin but to look beyond the effect and at the cause.
If we get to the root of the effect then we can dig up the root then we can be free.
Jesus I echo MarshallJohn's prayer.
set us free from the addictions we have. I also ask that you uproot the cause of the addictions that people have and heal the reasons why.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Addiction takes many forms. Yet many people grade addictions, and I'm sad to say it the worst are believers and they grade sin. Truth is sin is sin and addiction is addiction.
In the eyes of God it's all the same. It's falling short of his standard. Lying is the same as theft as gossip as unforgiveness.
Generally when people grade addictions the biggies are smoking, alcohol and sex. What about watching too much T.V, eating too much, what at about caffeine, what about shopping therapy, the list could go on.
Now don't get me wrong, some addictions and sin will have different consequences than others.
I honestly don't think that believers who struggle with addictions that they can't overcome will be shut out of heaven.
A believer who truly does not want their addiction yet can't overcome it yet keeps bringing it before God has the spirit of God in them.
We have a tendency to focus on what we do rather than why we do it. That then leads to a mindset of prayer along the lines of God help me stop doing this. We then focus on what we do wrong and come to works based focus, which leads to guilt, which leads to self condemnation and stops us coming before God. Even if we do it's probably along the lines of "God I'm such a miserable failure, I do this, I do that and after a few minutes we give up and walk away with more guilt.
To me and from my experience we need to look at the reasons why we do what we do.
Just a quick testimony to illustrate what I'm trying to say.
I had a shocking upbringing. Never knew my father, only 2 awful memories. My mum threw me out when I was 14. I was fostered by a Christian couple only to find myself in the situation for next 5 years my foster dad tried every night to sexually abuse me. I kept in contact with them up to a few years ago (when they both died) only because I loved my foster mum. The situation was discussed at some point and my foster dad promised to stop yet he didn't. I kept it secret. My foster dad so I found out actually went to prison for previous offences of the same nature. Goodness knows how I was allowed to be fostered.
I suffered a severe gambling problem. I was bought up in a gambling environment, parents/grandparents taking us to pubs so they could play bingo, playing cards for money. I had a severe gambling problem. Even at a young age I remember playing slots and the pushy machines. Started from the age of 5 and escalated over the years.
I had an addiction to gambling, yet I hated it. Married with 4 kids. In my 30's/40's.
I tell you the truth I actually found myself in a gambling establishment and had no idea I was in that establishment. One minute I'm sat at my desk and an hour later I lost a lot of money. I even prayed over the door.
I would wake up at the same time every morning at 2 am with guilt and fear that I was going to hell. I even asked God to take my life. I hated my addiction with a passion.
For the last 6 years I have not gambled and not had the urge. What changed?
My focus. My focus was that I was a useless piece of dung. Unlovable, God would only love me and accept me if I conformed.
If I didn't gamble then God would love me.
I did the Freedom in Christ course. One thing that really hit me was in the eyes of God I am Secure, accepted and significant.
Jesus died for whilst I was sinner.
When I got this God spoke to me and said "I love you with your addiction, will you let me deal with why you have this addiction?
The above testimony was the reason for my addiction. God took me through the process of healing and forgiving. So much so that my mum and I have a truly mother son and relationship.
I thought when my foster dad would die then I would be free, God said to me you need to forgive him before he dies cause you won't be free when he dies. Go see them, don't tell him why your coming down to see them, I am going to walk with you and help you. So I did and it started the process. So much so that two weeks later when I had returned home I got a phone call from a hospital saying he had a severe stroke and had days to live could I come down. My initial thought was no but God said go.
So I did, I sat by his bed and prayed over him and for him, the last words he said to me "Take care of my estate" I said yes I will.
When I left his bedside I felt God say to me "Forgiveness complete, healing process well on the way but more importantly YOU ARE FREE.
To forgive is to set the prisoner free only to realise that the prisoner was you.
I have not gambled since, God dealt with effect of the cause. I'm actually in tears as I write this.
Thank you Jesus.
I am sorry if I have digressed or detracted from the post.
I just want to encourage us all not to judge or grade addiction/sin but to look beyond the effect and at the cause.
If we get to the root of the effect then we can dig up the root then we can be free.
Jesus I echo MarshallJohn's prayer.
set us free from the addictions we have. I also ask that you uproot the cause of the addictions that people have and heal the reasons why.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Brother you are not a failure, smoking is a very hard thing to stop. I personally couldn't do it cold turkey, but my son and I made a deal that I will quit smoking if he stopped sucking his thumb. I had to have some kind of nicotine so I chose the nicorette gum. At first I was going to slowly replace some cigarette breaks with gum and slowly ween down, but then I read the directions the 2nd day and the first thing it said was "Pick a day to quit", and go all gum from then on.
I have to say that it did help, another huge thing was I wasn't around smokers that would hand me a cigarette in my weak moments, I just was blessed enough to be working with a nonsmoker at this time and feel it was a MAJOR help to my quitting. I would go to the point I felt I was about to "loose it" and would chew a piece of gum and it would level me out, plus it also gave my something to do orally, that's why the patch would have never worked for me. It was hard and I can't lie, it was about 2 years before I stopped having some kind of craving for them from time to, but still feel it is one of the best things I ever decided to do thanks to my son, who still didn't stop sucking his thumb for years after that by the way, LOL.
That is what worked for me man, and I pray God will help you to get there one day as well. I can't say it's easy, it wasn't for me, but I can assure you it is worth the effort and with God VERY possible. Good luck with it brother.
I have to say that it did help, another huge thing was I wasn't around smokers that would hand me a cigarette in my weak moments, I just was blessed enough to be working with a nonsmoker at this time and feel it was a MAJOR help to my quitting. I would go to the point I felt I was about to "loose it" and would chew a piece of gum and it would level me out, plus it also gave my something to do orally, that's why the patch would have never worked for me. It was hard and I can't lie, it was about 2 years before I stopped having some kind of craving for them from time to, but still feel it is one of the best things I ever decided to do thanks to my son, who still didn't stop sucking his thumb for years after that by the way, LOL.
That is what worked for me man, and I pray God will help you to get there one day as well. I can't say it's easy, it wasn't for me, but I can assure you it is worth the effort and with God VERY possible. Good luck with it brother.