Addictions come in many different forms, and every addiction is a terrible burden to bear. Whatever vice holds an addict in its grasp, it is always with them. Escaping the constant urge to indulge in a fleeting moment of pleasure is difficult because addiction hooks a person with the promise of temporary satisfaction.
Those who genuinely want to
break free from the oppressive bondage of addiction often discover how
difficult it is to escape the grip of substance abuse or other destructive
habits. The temptation to return to old
ways can override better judgment, especially when a person tries to fight the
battle alone. Without a strong support
system, it is easy to be pulled back into the whirlpool that addiction creates
once the temporary high has faded.
When I was searching for
answers to my unstable life, I had few friends I could turn to because they had
struggles of their own. I was also
stubborn. I refused to share my burdens
with anyone who was willing to stand beside me—someone I could lean on. I believed I could find peace through my own
efforts, but those efforts always ended in disappointment and false hope.
Because I had been exposed to
Christianity early in life, I knew there was One who could provide the help and
strength I needed to accomplish what I could never achieve on my own. Yet I was too proud to open the door to a new
way of life through Jesus Christ.
In my sober moments, I knew
something had to change before my lifestyle led me to an early grave. Addiction has a way of clouding a person’s
judgment and silencing their conscience.
It wasn’t until I reached the end of my rope, with nowhere else to turn,
that I realized I desperately needed help beyond my own strength.
After exhausting every attempt
to overcome the sins in my life, I finally called upon God. I asked Him to show me a new way to live—a
life free from the bondage of sin. All
along, He had been patiently waiting for me to come to my senses. The Holy Spirit had been gently calling me to
leave my old life behind and follow Him.
When I knelt before God and
asked for His forgiveness and help, He immediately forgave my sins as I
confessed them. He transformed my heart,
gave me a new nature, and set my life on a new course in Christ. Old habits began to lose their hold because
the Lord gave me something infinitely better than temporary pleasure. He filled my life with lasting peace, joy,
purpose, and victory over the old way of living.
God gave me His Son, Jesus
Christ, in exchange for my wayward life.
Jesus was the only answer to the emptiness and bondage in which I was
trapped.
If you are struggling with an
addiction or have become a slave to something you cannot seem to escape, I
encourage you to bring that burden to Jesus.
You will discover that He truly is the Prince of Peace, the Way Maker,
and the Giver of abundant life to all who call upon Him. He makes a way where there seems to be no
way. He is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life.
Trust Him—you will not be
disappointed. He has promised never to
leave you nor forsake you, and He will not leave you to fight life’s battles
alone. You can count on Jesus Christ to
set you free from whatever holds you captive.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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