Today's Meditation

 

"You shall have no other gods before Me.'' -EX. 20:3 

We can compare addiction to a false god. An addiction can creep up on us, and before we know it we have found a means of relieving our pain. The pain is caused by loneliness, guilt, or feelings of low self~ esteem. We become obsessed with the pain, and then we become addicted to what relieves the pain. 

Carol's addictions were spending money, drinking alcohol, and eating. One evening she and her husband had an argument on the phone. She was out for the evening with a friend and thought her husband was out of town on business. When she called home to get her messages he answered. The argument started, she hung up, went to eat with her friend, and drank beer until she was drunk. The next day, when she came in to see me, she did not feel well emotionally or physically. Addictions rob us of our own power. We become powerless and do things we wouldn't normally do. Our compulsive nature is insane.

God offers us a way to get out of bondage to these addictions. We just need to be willing to turn our life and our will over to him. If something or someone comes before God, that is a false god. 

Confess your addictions to yourself, to God, and to another human being, and then turn from them. 

Taken from "One Step at a Time" daily devotions for people in 12 Step Recovery

MY SHARE

So nicotine was a solution to my problem until it wasn't. By that time I wasn't, I fully hooked. It was my God. I had to have it and I did that for 27 years at 2-3 packs a day. When I was told in church a long time ago as a child, that I had to put God first. I thought that was nuts. Who in the world would put their problems to thin air?  I put my ex-husband first and what happened was he became my God. I was stuck in a very abusive relationship. He was not able to give love because of his fears and he himself had no solution to his problem either.  Needless to say, this relationship operated on fear and fear alone. It did not last. 

Today, I put God first and I reach out to God for my solution today. He soothes my fears whereas no other human can and I am able to operate out of love. I am able to love my husband today instead of fearing him. I have a wonderful husband today. We work together on things and I have truly enjoyed him in my life. I am so grateful to have this wonderful life of mine today.