Addiction
I don't know if you've ever had an addiction, but chances are if you did, breaking it almost broke you.
Addictions can come in many forms, whether it be a drug, relationship, food, image; I'm sure each of you reading this can think of something you were addicted to at one point in your life, even if it wasn't very strong or wasn't very long.
We all have addictions.
I don't think we're told enough in our lives just how crucial it is to have relationships. Our society has become so focused on image, self sustenance, strength, and pride that we push back what's at the heart of each of our successes: help. Nothing you will ever do, be it success, will ever be completely on your own; in some form of another you will have had help along the way. And that's okay. Nothing you will ever go through, be it difficult, will ever be completely on your own; in some form or another you will be given strength from others to help you. And that is amazing.
These past couple days I've been putting a lot of my energy in to breaking an addiction of mine. And it's been incredibly difficult. It's something I've struggled with for a decade or so, strange how time goes so fast, to look back and wonder how your life would be different without it. I don't know if these struggles we have are something we can "what if" our lives away, but I do think we can direct our future to a new beginning. Sometimes the addictions we have, if we are able to overcome them, give us a compassion and empathy toward others like none other. Granted, I don't know about you but I'd rather have the lack of struggle over the addiction any day, but we don't always have that choice. Sometimes we have to go through the struggle just to see how strong we actually are.
That strength will be given, if we are able to ask the question.
I had a conversation with a friend a long time ago, they may not remember but it's was one of those messages that stuck with me. To describe it vaguely, we were talking about things we were dealing with in our lives, and I'll never forget he said that it was okay to be weak. That admitting our weakness is one of the strongest things we can do.
An oxymoron that has never made more sense to me than it does now.
So what does that mean? How does that help? Where can I go from here? These are probably all questions you are asking, I know I am. I think realizing you need help is a huge breakthrough, but what comes after is the difficult part. It's here and now that you'll be tested unlike ever before, and it's here and now that you'll need more help than ever before.
This can be really difficult if you don't like asking for help.
This can be really difficult if you don't like feeling weak.
This can be really difficult if you build walls without windows.
But I promise you, if you reach out to someone, someone will reach back to you. It's so crazy how we are so critical of ourselves, but so forgiving for others. Marika (my housemate) came to be asking my opinion on an outfit she was wearing, and I gave her my honest opinion (it was cute by the way haha). She said something to me that resonates with all of us, she said, "I just needed your opinion, because you know how we are. We are so critical of ourselves that we need an outside opinion to get a real answer." Couldn't have said it better myself.
My friend's mom gave me a bible study packet that I've been reading through. It comes with a video, and around midnight one night when I couldn't sleep because of things I had done earlier in the day, I decided to watch it. The woman who spoke gave so much wisdom on this topic. She talked about how we all have our own insecurities, doubts, and weaknesses, and we are so critical of ourselves that we forget we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." How dare we forget that? Do we really doubt the power of God? Do we really doubt His statement that we were made in his image? How dare we question that!
I think this is where addictions start. Thinking we aren't good enough, pretty enough, happy enough, strong enough.
Enough.
Enough.
ENOUGH.
So if you haven't began the journey to wellness, I invite you to begin. And for those of you who have been battling an addiction, trying desperately to overcome, I invite you to reach out to someone. Ask for help. Ask for strength. You are a child of God, you have the right to ask.
And you will be heard.
I'm not guaranteeing it will be easy, or fun, or quick. But I can promise you it will be worth it.
Break the chains. Make a change.
Addictions can come in many forms, whether it be a drug, relationship, food, image; I'm sure each of you reading this can think of something you were addicted to at one point in your life, even if it wasn't very strong or wasn't very long.
We all have addictions.
I don't think we're told enough in our lives just how crucial it is to have relationships. Our society has become so focused on image, self sustenance, strength, and pride that we push back what's at the heart of each of our successes: help. Nothing you will ever do, be it success, will ever be completely on your own; in some form of another you will have had help along the way. And that's okay. Nothing you will ever go through, be it difficult, will ever be completely on your own; in some form or another you will be given strength from others to help you. And that is amazing.
These past couple days I've been putting a lot of my energy in to breaking an addiction of mine. And it's been incredibly difficult. It's something I've struggled with for a decade or so, strange how time goes so fast, to look back and wonder how your life would be different without it. I don't know if these struggles we have are something we can "what if" our lives away, but I do think we can direct our future to a new beginning. Sometimes the addictions we have, if we are able to overcome them, give us a compassion and empathy toward others like none other. Granted, I don't know about you but I'd rather have the lack of struggle over the addiction any day, but we don't always have that choice. Sometimes we have to go through the struggle just to see how strong we actually are.
That strength will be given, if we are able to ask the question.
I had a conversation with a friend a long time ago, they may not remember but it's was one of those messages that stuck with me. To describe it vaguely, we were talking about things we were dealing with in our lives, and I'll never forget he said that it was okay to be weak. That admitting our weakness is one of the strongest things we can do.
An oxymoron that has never made more sense to me than it does now.
So what does that mean? How does that help? Where can I go from here? These are probably all questions you are asking, I know I am. I think realizing you need help is a huge breakthrough, but what comes after is the difficult part. It's here and now that you'll be tested unlike ever before, and it's here and now that you'll need more help than ever before.
This can be really difficult if you don't like asking for help.
This can be really difficult if you don't like feeling weak.
This can be really difficult if you build walls without windows.
But I promise you, if you reach out to someone, someone will reach back to you. It's so crazy how we are so critical of ourselves, but so forgiving for others. Marika (my housemate) came to be asking my opinion on an outfit she was wearing, and I gave her my honest opinion (it was cute by the way haha). She said something to me that resonates with all of us, she said, "I just needed your opinion, because you know how we are. We are so critical of ourselves that we need an outside opinion to get a real answer." Couldn't have said it better myself.
My friend's mom gave me a bible study packet that I've been reading through. It comes with a video, and around midnight one night when I couldn't sleep because of things I had done earlier in the day, I decided to watch it. The woman who spoke gave so much wisdom on this topic. She talked about how we all have our own insecurities, doubts, and weaknesses, and we are so critical of ourselves that we forget we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." How dare we forget that? Do we really doubt the power of God? Do we really doubt His statement that we were made in his image? How dare we question that!
I think this is where addictions start. Thinking we aren't good enough, pretty enough, happy enough, strong enough.
Enough.
Enough.
ENOUGH.
So if you haven't began the journey to wellness, I invite you to begin. And for those of you who have been battling an addiction, trying desperately to overcome, I invite you to reach out to someone. Ask for help. Ask for strength. You are a child of God, you have the right to ask.
And you will be heard.
I'm not guaranteeing it will be easy, or fun, or quick. But I can promise you it will be worth it.
Break the chains. Make a change.
Addiction cannot be broken by "trying." You are right that relationships can be key....but in the end they can only be broken through the grace of God. It is only by recognizing our weakness and inability to overcome, pursuing Christ and allowing Him and the Holy Spirit to tranform us will experience victory over the earthly things that hold us. You are right, addiction is a sympton of deeper issues that are found in the heart. Only Christ can change a heart. Bottomline: Draw near to HIM.
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