Freedom From Addictions: Breaking The Cycle
The beginning of every year brings promises of change and resolutions designed to help you become a better person
. A fresh start and a clean slate create the right environment to break old habits and create new ones. I believe there is no better time than now to resolve to break the addictive habits and patterns in your life! When people think of addictions, alcohol, drug abuse and sexual sins are often the first things that come to mind. However, addictions come in different forms.
Many Christians are struggling to break addictive strongholds in their lives and have become frustrated as they go through the process. The good news is: there is hope! Anyone can obtain freedom through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Webster's Dictionary defines addiction as a behavior in which someone chooses "to obsessively or habitually surrender to something." Addictions can take the form of an obsessive way of thinking, speaking or acting.
Addictions are the result of thoughts that are unchecked by the Word of God. Every outcome you experience in life follows a sequence that begins with words and leads to thoughts, feelings, decisions, actions then habits. If you find there is an area of your life that seems to be out of control, it is important to locate what words you have been listening to. Then you must deal with the thoughts created by those words that have been allowed to influence your actions. If you don't deal with this critical area of your thought life, you will remain in bondage to addictive behaviors.
One way to effectively deal with negative thinking is to first allow the Word of God to become your final authority. You have to find out what God says in His Word; and then make a quality decision to align your words and thoughts with His. Then you will be able to recognize opposing thoughts and suggestions. This is the first step toward your freedom.
The next step to breaking addictions is to use the Word as a weapon against negative thoughts, which form your behavior. The Bible instructs you to cast down thoughts and every imagination that tries to override the Word of God you know to be true (2 Corinthians 10: 5). You do this by speaking the Word of God as soon as the thought comes. When you declare what God has said about the issue you are dealing with, you capture wrong thoughts and keep your mind free and clear of the devil's lies.
Renewing your mind is the third key to breaking addictions (Romans 12:1, 2). Spend time meditating on the Word of God so you can transform the way you think and perceive life. The world may have told you that retaliating against someone who has hurt or wronged you is acceptable; but the Word tells us to love our enemies. If you have a habit of cussing at people who make you mad, or seeking revenge, you need to change. Break that bad habit by renewing your mind with God's Word. Slowly but surely, as you begin to think differently, your responses and reactions will change.
God promised us an abundant life that does not include being in bondage to any addictive thought patterns or behaviors. The Bible says, "...to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11, The Amplified Bible). If you're struggling with addictions, you're not going to be able to model the character and love of God effectively, because addictions are based in selfishness.
If you are struggling in a particular area, don't be afraid to admit your challenge and ask God to help you. Believers have the authority, through Jesus Christ, to overcome wickedness and strongholds of addictions. You are more than a conqueror! Through the Word of God, you can remove bad habits from your life and prevent them from coming back.
Galatians 5:1 confirms this: "In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]" (The Amplified Bible). When you release yourself from entanglement with addictions and obsessions, you position yourself to receive God's peace and plan for your life.
by: Creflo Dollar
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