I am not foolish enough to suggest that within a week’s time anyone could be free of an addiction or compulsion. While a few people tell of overnight transformations, these are the exception, not the norm. Still, let me assure you that, within just a week, you can be moving in a new, healthy direction. No addiction—I repeat: no addiction—is stronger than the Almighty. Never forget that His power stills storms and heals diseases and raises the dead. The wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different.
Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The power of God notwithstanding, the grind of addiction is not easily overcome. While God may preserve you from your addiction, it’s far more likely He intends to preserve you through your addiction. In other words, your healing will most likely be a long process. That’s why many churches offer help in the form of ministries to addicts and their families. The stories of recovery that emerge from the ranks of those courageous folks are nothing short of thrilling.
I recall one account that involved a married couple with several small children. Both parents were addicted to cocaine, and it was not unusual for them to be high on the drug for a day or two each weekend. Thanks to the compassionate, gentle, yet firm determination of a few caring friends in one of these ministries, this couple found ways to “escape temptation’s power.” If some addiction has become your daily grind, I urge you to face it head-on. Contact your church or go online to see if a group addressing your particular addiction meets in your area.
Bottom line: Don’t go it alone. If you struggle with an addiction or compulsion, you need the support and the accountability of a community to help guide you. You might need more intensive assistance through one-on-one therapy or maybe even an inpatient facility. Regardless, God has provided a way for you to escape this awful grind. Take that first step toward healing. Don’t delay.
From Living the Proverbs by Charles R. Swindoll, copyright © 2012. Reprinted by permission of Worthy Inspired., an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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