Dear Addicted Christian
Advice to the Addicted Christian
When people hear the word ‘addiction’, what immediately comes to their mind is smoking, alcohol, drug, etc. Such substance addiction fits naturally within the frame of addiction.
However, Merriam-Webster defines addiction as “a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly.” This means that in addition to the substances mentioned above, many other habits can fall under the boundary of addiction, such as game addiction, pornography addiction, social media addiction, watching movies, (window) shopping, and the list goes on.
Let me clear a few misconceptions here: Firstly, just because you have a habit, does not mean that you are addicted to it. A habit is you controlling things; an addiction is things controlling you. This distinction is very important. Secondly, there are neutral and even good things that can turn into an addiction. For example, eating food is a good thing; that is how God has designed us. However, if you continuously indulge or think about that, it can turn into an addiction, which is labeled as gluttony. Thirdly, every addiction is a sin, for any sin makes us slaves. And that is what an addiction does too. Therefore, there is no Christian who can say, “I don’t have any addiction,” since “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Since I, too, am a Christian, addicted to so many things, let me give you some advice on how you can identify and avoid addictions in Christian life.
Diagnosing your addictions
Just as a doctor diagnoses his/her patient, you need to diagnose yourself with no symptoms left out. Here’s how you can examine your addictions.
Identify the addictions: Your first task is to identify what addictions you have. Addictions can come in all shapes and forms. So, leave no exceptions. List all the activities where you have less to no control over yourself. The easiest way to find out your addictions is to ask yourself, “How much time do I spend thinking over it or doing it?” If it consumes a lot of your time, then it probably is an addiction.
Take note of the triggers: Once you’ve identified your addictions, the next step is to check what triggers them. Triggers are the conditions that ultimately make you do that thing. For instance, a trigger for a foodie can be the sweet aroma of a cake, when he/she walks past a patisserie or even just a simple image of a burger. Such triggers are what leads one to go down that rabbit hole of addiction. Take note of such triggers and avoid them.
Understand the patterns: Just like the triggers, some patterns can lead you towards your addiction. For instance, when you are free or waiting in a line, you immediately open up your phone and start watching Instagram Reels or YouTube shorts. Such patterns should not go unnoticed, for they are the building blocks of addictions. Don’t let them blind-sighted you.
Overcoming your addictions
Now that you know what your addictions are, and what triggers them, let’s look at how you can overcome them.
Take your addictions to God: God wants you to take all your issues and addictions to Him so that He can help you. Pray. Read the Bible. Spend more time with God and His people. Shift your focus from your addictions to God. Addictions are spiritual, and ultimately, it is God who can free you from its chains.
Be accountable: Find spiritually mature people who can keep your confessions confidential. Tell them about your addictions. Pour out your heart before them. Be transparent with them. As soon as you commit that bad habit, confess it to them. You might feel ashamed, but that is exactly the point. You will think twice, next time, before performing that bad habit, knowing that you will have to tell him/her.
Replace your addictions: We think that addictions can be killed. I think that such bad habits that have taken years to develop cannot just vanish in thin air; bad habits need to be replaced by good habits. So, try your best to replace your addictions with habits that will build you, habits that will contribute to your growth as a person and a child of God. For instance, you can replace your addiction to watching a movie that contains non-Christian elements with that of watching a Christian movie. The same is true with songs.
Don’t worry if you did not break the chain of social media addiction or pornography addiction or any addiction in one day. No one does. It will take time. Addictions won’t go away in a single day. You need to persevere and wrestle with it every day. You have to start from zero every day. But, O Christian, know that you are never truly alone. God is with you always!
What advice will you give to an addicted Christian? Comment down below.
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