AddictionSomething that I tend to watch on Sundays is Super Soul Sunday on OWN. And recently, as I was finishing up a deadline, I caught something that author Gary Zukav said on the show that really resonated with me; something that I strongly believe will provide some comfort (and perhaps confirmation) for some of you as well.

You know something is an addiction when you feel like you can’t stop…but underneath the addiction is pain…When you strive to heal from your addiction, you are reaching your highest call. It is profoundly spiritual. When you recognize you have an addiction, you must realize that you have two choices: to remain as you are or to change. And if you change, you are changing your entire life.

Now it has been a belief of mine, for quite some time, that where we are called, we are attacked. For instance, if you’ve ever heard financial consultant Dave Ramsey share his testimony, then you know that he had some serious problems with money well before he became so financially successful. Another example is Oprah. She’s pretty open about the fact that she struggled with self-worth before becoming one of the most respected voices in the entire world. Even I can vouch for the theory in the sense that I was sexually molested, assaulted and even date raped. And now, I work with a ministry that deals with sexual brokenness, I do marriage life coaching and I run a blog for single women who desire to be married to their true covenant partner.

It makes sense when you think about the process that it takes to first face your addiction (John 8:31-32), confess your addiction (James 5:16) and then do whatever it is (WHATEVER IT IS) that’s required to transition from feeding what’s ultimately hurting you to embracing what will heal you. And yes, once all of that happens, one of my absolute favorite verses in the Word comes into play

Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination]. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody. Look well to yourself [to your own personality] and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” – I Timothy 4:14-16(AMP)

A big part of the reason why the Liar (John 8:44), thief (John 10:10) and devourer (I Peter 5:8) doesn’t want us to heal from our addictions is because he knows that when we do, when we see how powerful we really and truly are thanks to the abilities that God has given us (2 Timothy 1:7), we’re not just able to spiritually grow at an exponential rate but we’re also vessels that God can, and will, use to save others.

Healing from an addiction is a form of divine salvation because salvation is about protection (Tweet This!).

So whether you’re still caught up in your addiction or you’re several years sober, I hope this will encourage you to get strong or stay strong. Your addiction is not just holding you back but it is part of your story as well and people need to hear it.

We’ll be praying for you, and your calling, in the meantime.

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Do you have a story? We want to hear it.

 

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Your Addiction Is a Part of Your Story by XXXchurch.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.