{"id":7512,"date":"2010-05-27T03:50:59","date_gmt":"2010-05-27T03:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?p=7512"},"modified":"2014-10-19T07:21:20","modified_gmt":"2014-10-19T07:21:20","slug":"recovery-from-addiction-gods-way-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/admit\/recovery-from-addiction-gods-way-2","title":{"rendered":"Recovery from Addiction God’s Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Set free? When was I ever addicted? What does it mean, ‘addicted to me’?”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

by Steven Gledhill\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>for FREEdom from MEdom Project<\/span><\/h5>\n

\"A<\/a>Do you feel like your world is caving in on you? Do you ever wonder, \u201cIs this all there is?” Is happiness even possible? Would you like relief from the weight of the burden… unchained from guilt and shame… unleashed from betrayal and rejection? Do you want to more reasonably manage conflict? Do you want to finally break free from the rituals of addiction? Do you want better than “just good enough”? Do you want to be made whole… to live free to experience<\/strong> love, peace and joy?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, so why not from the beginning…<\/p>\n

Free<\/a> is defined as without cost; to not be held, enslaved, or imprisoned; to not be confined, constrained, or controlled<\/em>. We were not created for freedom (freedom from what?) since it was never the will of God in the first place that we be controlled or held captive as prisoners and slaves. We were created to live in communion with God. We were meant to need nothing more than happiness in relationship with Him. That’s still the plan! Except that we’re bound by sin, burdened by the weight of its consequences, with the need to be set free.<\/p>\n

Peace<\/a> is defined as a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from<\/em> disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions; harmony in personal relations<\/em>. We were not created for peace (peace from what?), since God’s original idea never included discord, disturbance, oppression, or disharmony. We were created to live in communion with one another. We were meant to live as one harmonious family, unfettered in love. That’s still the idea! Except that we’re so stressed from confusion and complication that we have need for\u00a0truce from all disturbance, and deliverance from intrusion into peace.<\/p>\n

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.<\/strong> James 3:16 (NKJV)<\/p>\n

\".<\/a> \u201cThe fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it.\u201d<\/em> —Henry Cloud <\/span><\/p>\n

MEdom is my addiction to me<\/a>. FREEdom from MEdom is all about experiencing the transformed life<\/a> in relationship with God, armed with the weapons to wage the war within<\/a>. Within is\u00a0ongoing conflict<\/a> between what my intellect agrees is truth and makes the most sense (wanting God’s best<\/a>), and all of the things that I emotionally get drawn into that so easily impair my judgment,\u00a0robbing me<\/a> of what I truly want<\/a> in this<\/em> life. Instead of adjusting my life to the truth (God’s way), I try to somehow adjust the truth to accommodate my life (my way<\/a>). How does that make the most sense?<\/p>\n

“I have gone through the FREEdom from MEdom Project then concluded that it is divine; my heart is deeply touched. I have been touched by your vision for delivering addicted people. May this vision that is still in the womb be quickened to maturity. May God expand your vision mightily all over the world. I’m moved to pray for this ministry because it is a unique one… I know that this wave shall cause a great revival in our land.” <\/em>—Leonard Walubengo, Pastor, Nairobi, Kenya <\/span><\/p>\n

Popular psychology<\/a> suggests that how I interpret an event<\/strong> (something that happens) activates a belief<\/strong> that triggers an emotional reaction<\/strong> (to the event) that leads to an outcome<\/strong>. In other words, if desire<\/strong> (my will) is the filter of my understanding, conceived is belief<\/strong> giving birth to motives that fuel behavior<\/strong> colliding with consequences<\/strong> that are too often destructive. When control is impaired, consequences are tolerated, there is pain and preoccupation in the absence of what’s desired, and the continual pursuant behavior has proven to be harmful, (like it or not) that is<\/em> addiction.<\/p>\n

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.<\/strong> James 1:14-15 (NKJV)<\/p>\n

\"2-51\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, why do I do what I really don’t want to do?<\/em><\/span>
\n“I don\u2019t really understand myself. I want to do what is right, but I don\u2019t do it. Instead, I do what I hate… I have discovered this principle of life\u2014that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong… There is another power within me that is at war with my mind<\/a>. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life?”<\/strong> Romans 7:15, 21, 23-24 (NLT)<\/p>\n

\"lost-lamb-2<\/a>“The way I look at the problem is a problem.”<\/em> —Pierce <\/span><\/p>\n

Desire<\/a> is a feeling with two central elements<\/a>. There is what I hope<\/em> for; and then there is what I wish ought to be<\/em>. Hope is the longing for what is ultimately satisfying. It is delighted in, admired, and cherished. Like digging for treasure or mining for gold, the prize<\/a> I hope for I hold in high esteem and pursue with a deep sense of conviction and passion with unwavering resolve. It\u00a0is worth overcoming all obstacles while persevering through pain and struggle. What ought to be, on the other hand, is what I crave, lust for, and covet. What ought to be right now<\/em> makes me hungry, thirsty and eager, even desperate. My appetite<\/a> for what ought to be is far less particular. Losing hope<\/a>,\u00a0I tend to settle<\/a> for what ought to be\u00a0since it<\/em> is better than it was. It’s good enough… at least for now<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own<\/em> way.<\/strong> Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)<\/p>\n

\"lost-lamb-2<\/a>God knew that we would lose hope and come to trust in ourselves, settle for less<\/a> than His best and choose our own path<\/a> to chase what we want and believe we deserve, stepping on landmines all along the way, chasing contentment that’s never within reach. So the plan was activated to rescue us<\/a>. His only son was born unto us to get to know us by being like us<\/a> while living with us. When we chose to act outside of His plan it costs us everything<\/a>. But God planned ahead and, yes, it cost Him<\/em> everything<\/a>; to restore us into newness of life, free and at peace.<\/p>\n

A son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called, “Wonderful Counselor”, “Mighty God”, “Everlasting Father”, “Prince of Peace”. His government and its peace will never end.<\/strong> Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Jesus would by his experience come to understand us<\/a>; to love us as one human being to another. He would be our friend<\/a> and then love like no other when he died for us<\/a>. But the cauldron of death couldn’t hold him but for a few days and he came back to us. In Him is life; a better healthier life. He extends His love without reservation through new life<\/a> to each one of us. Let go and embrace it.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>Jesus said to the people who believed in him, \u201cYou are truly my disciples if<\/em> you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know<\/em> the truth, and the truth will<\/em> set you free.\u201d They said, \u201cWe have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, \u2018You will be set free\u2019?\u201d Jesus replied, \u201cI tell you the truth, everyone<\/em> who sins is a slave<\/strong> (addicted) to sin.”<\/strong> John 8:31-34 (NLT)<\/p>\n

\u201cAddiction will lie to me in my own voice.\u201d<\/em> —Grant<\/span><\/p>\n

Wow! Jesus is saying that I am addicted to sin<\/a>… and you are too, for that matter. He also said in the Bible that He came to earth<\/a> for the sick and impoverished; referring to Himself as a physician. I understand that selfish sin is initiated by choice of the mind acted out through behavior. But Jesus is clear that sin is a disease. If addiction to sin is a disease, then addiction to anything symptomatic of sin is<\/em> a disease. It’s made us sick. So Jesus asks, “Would you like to get well?”<\/p>\n

\u201cI\"obamafaith-story-top<\/a> was so obsessed with me and the reasons that I might be dissatisfied that I couldn\u2019t focus on other people\u2026 When I find myself taking the wrong step… it\u2019s because I\u2019m trying to protect myself… What I trace this to is a certain selfishness on my part.\u201d<\/em> —Barack Obama (August 16, 2008)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

When did I begin believing the lies<\/a> from toxic influences about who and what I am? Why do I seek what\u00a0does me harm? What is<\/em> the “exact nature” of this preoccupation with dissatisfaction that requires a remedy?<\/p>\n

“Although I love to take control, it is so overwhelming and I know that it is not mine. That is why the load is so heavy when I try to carry it. I do that because I stop trusting that God will take care of it.”<\/em> —Madison <\/span><\/p>\n

FREEdom from MEdom Project is not<\/em> just another pretentious ‘Christianity versus pop psychology’ narrative on how to cure the pervasive lifestyle of addiction rife with dysfunction. What it intends to be is an in-depth study and discussion of the process; the process of resurrection into newness of life<\/a>; redemption through divine healing<\/a>, until it makes complete sense.<\/p>\n

FREEdom from MEdom Project goes deep into the process of how I think and behave and react to failed expectations. It confronts the problem of entitlement, according to what I believe I deserve. Jesus traced my preoccupation with me<\/a> to a certain selfishness on my part, declaring that I am a slave to sin (John 8:34)—addicted<\/em> to selfishness. Apostle Paul wrote that there is a power within me at war with my mind. You see, it really is<\/em> all about me<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>FREEdom from MEdom Project is<\/em> a trustworthy resource striving to bridge the divide<\/a> between evidenced-based therapeutic approaches and biblical truth<\/a> about addiction to self and recovery. You will become well-informed on the true nature of addiction to self from both a clinical and biblical perspective. \"sad<\/a>You will learn to discern the differences between guilt and shame<\/a>; to untangle twisted thoughts<\/a> and beliefs distorted<\/a> early on in life; burdens carried<\/a> from childhood through adolescence into adulthood, having a profound impact through the years on critical lifestyle choices.<\/p>\n

“I especially liked the way you tackled the difficult matter\u00a0of ambivalence and how our addictive behavior runs counter to the intellectual truth of the matter (common sense). There is a sorrow that the soul must go through in letting go of what it thought it loved. We have to come to the place where we truly get it that what God wants for us is GOOD. To some degree, our resistance to His will reveals that we do not really believe it is good—at least not the kind of \u201cgood\u201d we want.” <\/em>—Fran Leeman, Sr. Pastor, LifeSpring Community Church, Chicago (Plainfield), IL <\/span><\/p>\n

\"depressed<\/a>Are you burdened with guilt<\/a>… isolated by shame<\/a>? Do you feel labeled by failure<\/a> and unmet expectations? Can you<\/em> become paralyzed by discouragement<\/a>, fear and doubt<\/a>, afraid of what’s next? If you wrote down how you feel, might it go something like…<\/p>\n

“My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear… I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief… I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart… I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain… My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.”<\/strong> —King David<\/a>, Psalm 38 (NLT)<\/p>\n

King David, a man after God’s own heart, identified his<\/em> sin problem as a disease. Is addiction then a matter of choice<\/a> involving personal responsibility, or is addiction a disease<\/a>?<\/p>\n

The Bible is quite clear that addiction is BOTH a matter of choice AND it’s a disease<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\".<\/a>This (Advocate) of ours understands our weaknesses<\/a>, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help<\/a> us when we need it most.<\/strong>
\nHebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Having been set free from the sins of your yesterday, today and tomorrow, even though you’re not perfect and will<\/em> still make mistakes, might your prayer sound something like…<\/p>\n

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”<\/strong> —King David, Psalm 51 (NIV)<\/p>\n

When David was lost<\/a> in his addiction he expressed feeling overwhelmed by guilt<\/a>, crushed by an anguished heart, racked with constant pain. He searched feverishly for remedies to massage a strained ego, assuage a deeply troubled conscience, and bandage a severely wounded soul; to comprehend stability in the madness of his disease. FREEdom from MEdom Project is all about helping you to believe fully in the One whose love for you is unyielding and relentless, calling you into repentance, bathed in mercy, renewing your mind with a willing spirit, and restoring you into the rest, peace, and joy of best right living. Soak yourself in the compassion, love and generosity of your Sympathetic Savior.<\/p>\n

Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, \u201cWould you like to get well?\u201d<\/strong> John 5:6 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Asking if you want<\/em> a path to a better healthier life might feel a bit insulting since, well, of course you do! Jesus asked a man who’d been paralyzed by misery<\/a> for almost forty years, “Do you want<\/em> to get well?” which when more accurately translated from the original Greek text means, “Are you willing to be made whole<\/a>?” He may as well have asked, “Do you even want<\/em> to experience a better healthier life than this?” C.S. Lewis suggested that, while I may seek a remedy for the “tooth” that hurts the most, God is attentive and intends to work on all of my “teeth”, all that’s awry, until the change\u00a0in me\u00a0is complete. \u00a0The thing about real change into a new life experience is that you have to want it enough<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.<\/strong> 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)<\/p>\n

“Steven… It is right on. You did a lot of work and your study was directed by God\u2019s eternal truth from the Bible.”<\/em> —Randal Ross, Sr. Pastor, Calvary Church, Chicago (Naperville), IL <\/span><\/p>\n

\"lost-lamb-2<\/a><\/p>\n

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.<\/strong>
\n2 Corinthians 8:9 (NLT)<\/p>\n

If poverty is my perception or realization of missing what I need, want, and deserve—a state of discontent; and if its true that poverty breeds contempt for that believed to be missing—that<\/em> being control—then the escalating discomfort must be remedied. Even Adam and Eve, who seemed to have it all, sought a remedy for their growing need for more<\/a> by way of indulging in forbidden fruit because of wayward choices, producing in them feelings of loss and a foreboding sense of inadequacy. Like me they covered themselves, hoping to disguise their guilt and discreetly veil their shame.<\/p>\n

\u201cRefusing to acknowledge the source of our anguish doesn\u2019t make it go away. Denial protects the pain and makes it stronger.\u201d<\/em>
\n—Just For Today, Narcotics Anonymous <\/span><\/p>\n

\"depressed<\/a>In actuality, as discomfort swells into misery, it arouses in me patterns of thinking, cycles of behavior, and systems for living<\/a> presumed vital to manage this problem. There is surrender to a core belief deeply entrenched in entitlement that goes rogue and takes control. The erosion of sound values corrupts and diverts my moral sensibilities. To minimize unsettling discomfort, I will lie to protect myself, rationalize to defend myself, and isolate to shield myself from anything prohibitive of my approach to self-government. I am in need of a remedy.<\/p>\n

“I know I’ve hit bottom when I choose to quit digging.”<\/em> —Taylor <\/span><\/p>\n

As thought patterns and habitual behavior become so a part of my fabric for \u201cliving\u201d that even when my life situations improve, the behavior continues with increased purpose and justification, generating a new set of conflicts and challenges<\/a>. The obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior (acting out) evolve into intensified rituals and routines that must be performed just to feel a sense of normal and balance. Any deviation from the process cannot—will not—be tolerated. As the behavior carries with it substantial risk and cost, and trying to reduce or extinguish the behavior becomes increasingly disruptive and painful, and to stop it feels detrimental and perhaps even harmful to me, it is<\/em> addiction; a counterfeit higher power believed to be the remedy for solving the prevailing problem of dissatisfaction running (and ruining) my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe giving of oneself to a pursuit.\u201d<\/em> —‘Addicted<\/strong>‘ as defined<\/strong> by The Oxford English dictionary, 1884
\n“To devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively.”<\/em> —Merriam-Webster dictionary, today<\/span><\/p>\n

I will define addiction as the ongoing need for a remedy to improve my situation, which feels beneficial but is fleeting at best; and despite the adverse effects the remedy imposes upon the quality of my life, deepening my discontentment, I repeatedly settle for the instant gratification as worth the risk of the imminent harm to me and all others influenced by what I do.<\/p>\n

To willfully aim to reverse the addictive behavior is recovery. The trouble is, recovery from addiction is an uphill endeavor that can feel<\/em> impossible, and is especially challenging, particularly when my will is so vulnerable and so often compromised; and when giving in again and again to cravings and temptation, undermines my most sensible values and core beliefs; tantamount to moral treason<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>Jesus said,\u00a0“The thief<\/strong> (the influence of evil<\/a> in self-addiction) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I<\/strong>\u00a0have come that they may have life,\u00a0and have it to the full.”<\/strong> John 10:10 (NIV)<\/p>\n

“To get back (regain)… To bring back to normal position or condition (rescue)… To save from loss and restore to usefulness (reclaim)… The process of combating a disorder or a real or perceived problem.”<\/em> —‘Recover’<\/strong> and ‘Recovery’ defined <\/strong>by Merriam-Webster dictionary <\/span><\/p>\n

And the one sitting on the throne said, \u201cLook, I am making everything new!\u201d And then he said to me, \u201cWrite this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.\u201d<\/strong> Revelation 21:5 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Self-government not quite working out? Well, this recipe for recovery into God’s best is not exactly a secret. It’s been around, available and accessible for a very long time. The Bible calls it salvation. Recovery is a synonym for salvation. Recovery is salvation; salvation is recovery. Sin addiction is a spiritual problem requiring a spiritual remedy—a spiritual solution that is in the message of salvation. FREEdom from MEdom Project is an echo of this salvation message, spreading the gospel of freedom through recovery into the very best<\/a> of the new life experience God wants and has for you.<\/p>\n

The government will rest on his<\/em> shoulders… His<\/em> government and its<\/em> peace will never end.\u00a0<\/strong>Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Everything in Christ-centered recovery God’s way hinges on three pivotal steps<\/a>. They are referred to here as ABC Recovery: ADMIT my life is out of control and that I cannot on my own manage it… I can’t<\/em>; BELIEVE that God is<\/em> in control, able and willing to help me change… God can<\/em>; and COMMIT to God since He is in control, able and willing to help me change… God will<\/em>. If I believe that God is in control, then it makes the most sense to let go and turn over to God what I don\u2019t have control over anyway. To go about my life any other way is to suggest that perhaps I know better and have some secret recipe to defy the laws<\/a> of my addiction to me—MEdom. I need to let go<\/a> of what I cannot control and let God do what God does when I let Him.<\/p>\n

“Revived to life in the present releases the burden of the past, relieving the fear of the future.”<\/em> —Tyler<\/span><\/p>\n

\".<\/a>For God says, \u201cAt just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.\u201d Indeed, the \u201cright time\u201d is now. Today is the day of salvation<\/strong>. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)<\/p>\n

“I read it; loved it… We often are not really facing how we have accepted a \u201cstatus quo\u201d Christian existence, plodding through our days not really alive to God… I liked your use of recovery as a synonym for salvation\u2013–that could be really helpful for people to take the religion out of the notions of salvation, and infuse the term with a restorative mentality.”<\/em>
\n—Fran Leeman, Pastor, LifeSpring Community Church, Chicago (Plainfield), IL*<\/span><\/p>\n

Wisdom is adjusting my life<\/a> to the truth. Foolishness is adjusting the truth to my life. The truth is that living and dying<\/em> is a process, and truth is truth, whether I believe it or not. Addiction to me… recovery from me… either way, I surrender to the process<\/a>. I need help to better comprehend the process of addiction and to sufficiently trust in the process of recovery into freedom; willing and able to truly live in the fullness of all that God wants and has for me; revived and renewed into the very best of a new life experience.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds.<\/strong> Ephesians 4:22-23 (NLT)<\/p>\n

Do your values shape your sense of morality or do sound moral sensibilities determine what you value?<\/p>\n

Ask God to show Himself to you if you still are not certain about Him. It is your expression of hope<\/a>. When Christ shows up in your circumstances and delivers, you will be changed<\/a>. And that then changes everything. Your values about what you own change as you are willing to let go of whatever it is you value that owns you in exchange for that which God owns and values for you; and wants for you<\/em> to own.<\/p>\n

When you come to realize something so profound to be true and right in your deepest sensibilities, agreeing with it intellectually and morally, it changes you. Sensible reason is set free<\/a>, no longer held hostage by impulsive emotion. It’s that truth that sets you free. Know that being<\/em> right is far better than feeling<\/em> right.<\/p>\n