1. First, you may need medical help. Some drugs have dangerous withdrawal effects when you are coming off them. God has provided doctors for our benefit.
2. Call it what it is: Sin. Our culture has substituted biblical words like drunkenness for more neutral words like alcoholism. However, the Bible says this in Proverbs 28:13: "Whoever conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
3. Get Help in a Community. Addictions love to hide. They also create excuses. You need people who will pray for you, encourage you, and hold you accountable. According to the Bible, God created the church for this very purpose. We all need the help of others to overcome sin in our lives. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16), and Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom."
4. Cut off the Hand. Jesus says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matthew 5:29). This is not a literal command about cutting off body parts. It is saying to identify the causes of sin in your life and take radical steps to get rid of them. All addicts have things that trigger cravings many steps before the addict gives in. You must identify these triggers and make radical adjustments to your life to get rid of them. They may be harmless things in themselves- going to certain places, seeing certain people, or even being alone with a computer- but you know they lead to sin that is hurting your life.
5. Put On/Put Off. This is based on Ephesians 4:22-28. We have to "put off the old self," but also "put on the new self." We can't simply stop bad habits, we have to find and plan out good ones to replace them with.
6. The Holy Spirit. Romans 8:12-13 promises that the Holy Spirit will help believers in Jesus Christ to put sin to death in their lives. He uses Bible study and memorization to help you make the right changes in your thinking.
7. Biblical Counseling. You probably need some guidance in how to apply these biblical principles to your own life. Work through your church to find a pastor or other person who can help you. Biblical counseling is offered at First Baptist Church of Fairfax. Please call 632-3228 for more information.
Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale.
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