Gambling Freedom in 60 Days: Day 26
Paul Hudson wrote a great article about what things people with passion do. I have added 4 of his idea’s which are great for overcoming addiction here:
“Passions give us purpose, but more than that, they make us feel that we have purpose in our lives. Being passionate isn’t just about knowing – it’s also about feeling. That’s what makes passions so important; they make us feel that we’re on the right path in life and give us hope for a happy and exciting future. Passionate people lead significantly different lives from their less-than-enthusiastic counterparts.
1. Always have their passions on their mind.
They’re basically obsessed – hopefully in a healthy manner. Healthy passions are healthy obsessions. You can’t keep your mind from returning to the topic and can’t help but get excited by those thoughts. Passionate people live in a world in which the few things that matter to them in life basically involve the passions they love.
2. Willing to risk more and put more on the line.
If you’re passionate, you have a clear understanding of what your purpose in life is – if only your purpose for that very moment. For this reason, you give much less importance to other things. Therefore you’re willing to risk more for the thing(s) that you find most important, that you are most passionate about. Those that are passionate are much more willing to give up things that don’t fall in their scope of passion.
3. Devote their lives to their dreams.
Life is filled with things worth doing and things not worth doing. That which we are most passionate about is what we believe to be worthwhile, everything else seems to be wasteful and lacking. Passionate individuals gradually gravitate towards their passions and away from the rest that life has to offer. They know what will make them happy and are willing to ignore the rest.
4. Always think positively about the future.
Their minds are always looking ahead, looking at what can be instead of what is. This has its good sides and bad, but nevertheless, they are always thinking about their next move.
The one great outcome is that they always have something to look forward to and are excited to make it happen. As long as they remember to hang around in the present from time to time, they don’t run into too much trouble.”
For More Of His Thoughts And Ramblings, Follow Paul Hudson On Twitter And Facebook.
Wes MCAdams gave a great sermon on passion:
“Romans 12:9-11 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
That is a passage full of passion and excitement words. Words like abhor, cling, devoted, diligence, and fervent. I see at least four things in this passage about which every one of us should be excited!
- (Abhor) Hate What is Evil. Christians have a hard time using the word hate. Instead we use words like “dislike.” Well that’s not good enough! God expects us to HATE evil! Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” It is time that Christians starting hating evil. Of course I’m not saying we should hate evil people! I am saying we should want no part of their evil. We should not welcome it into our homes, our schools, or our minds!
- Cling to What is Good. We usually “like” what is good. But that is not good enough! We must be glued to it. We must be so committed to good that we are inseparable! Paul says we are to, “hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). Things like moderation, discipline, fellowship, prayer, worship, and service are “good” things; be glued to them!
- Be Devoted to One Another. It is time that Christians learn to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. That doesn’t mean you tolerate each other for a couple of weeks during worship! That means you are family! You are passionate about helping, serving, teaching, and even admonishing one another. When you see a brother in danger of losing his soul you don’t gossip about it; you go and talk to him! Church, be devoted to your family!
- Serving the Lord. Paul said not to be lagging in diligence and to be fervent in our service. The word fervent literally means to be boiling over! Can you really say you are boiling over in your service to God? In 1 Corinthians 15:58 Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Can you really say you’re “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” When was the last time you truly wore yourself out in service to the king? If you’re not busy, then it’s time to get busy! You are never more useful than when you are selflessly serving the Lord with everything you have to offer!
Let’s commit ourselves to not being lukewarm! Let’s commit ourselves to giving everything we have! Let’s commit ourselves to being passionate in our Christianity!”
To quit gambling passion is a key. Have a passion for your work. If you don’t currently have a job it is important to have a passion for helping others or for working for your church or charity. If your job stinks have a passion for working hard and doing your job for the glory of God. Have a passion for your hobbies and activities. Just going through the motions leads to boredom which leads to depression which leads to addiction. I play golf with plastic balls in my backyard. This year I am not improving – that makes it less fun – less of a good distraction from addiction. Today I am going to start improving my passion, watching golf videos, upping my effort. Do I care if I am ever good at golf? I really don’t. I do it for a bit of exercise (having a passion for exercise is vital – it makes you tougher and it makes you feel better). And do it as a distraction from unhealthy things.
Have a passion for reading the Bible. It is a fact that people who read 5 chapters of the Bible every day have a lower chance of going back to their addiction (read as many as you can). It is also likely true that people who have a passion for reading great Christian books have a lower chance as well.
Spend 5 minutes thinking about what you need to have more of a passion for.
www.drphil.com noted the following: Acknowledge the purpose.
Why do you do it? You have to be able to answer that question. Is it to help you deal with anxiety and stress? It may be hard for you to admit that you have a drinking or gambling habit, but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. Dr. Phil says, “What purpose does the behavior serve for you? If you’re an alcoholic, you’re not just drinking because you’re thirsty. Admit to yourself: ‘I’m medicating myself for anxiety, depression and pain. It numbs me to life.'”
Now learn from this what you are doing wrong. When I am helping you I don’t have time to worry about what is not perfect in my life. When I pray intensely for the world to change I don’t have time to think about addiction. When I pray that God will help me change, so that I can help others – I don’t have time for addiction.
How to Pray to Quit Gambling
Two keys to getting prayer answered are, believing that God will answer your prayer. The 2nd is to ask him for things that He wants you to change and that you are ready to change.
Pray about changes you are considering making.#1 Pray that God will help you meet people who have a healthy lifestyle and that He will help you stay away from places and people that trigger your addiction. #2 Ask God to help you to continue to realize that 12 step programs and help from Pastors and sponsors are vitally important to your continued recovery. #3 Ask God to help you to make it a habit to always plan your next few days. It is vital to plan because boredom is a trigger to relapse. Routine and concrete scheduling can be a lifesaver for an addict. A schedule, coupled with passion for a new hobby or sporting activity, allows people to successfully and happily break the cycle of boredom. #4 Ask God to show you what your purpose is. (I talked about this in my video called quitting addiction). Ask God to help you to never daydream or fantasize about gambling.
You need to be so committed to finding your purpose that you don’t have time to be tempted anymore. #5 Ask God to help you set realistic expectations for your life. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you come up short. #6 Ask God to help you forgive others. Verse 13 of the Lord’s Prayer say’s “And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”. We need to forgive others so that God will forgive us. We need to forgive others so that God will start to answer our prayers. You need to forgive others so that you can overcome your addiction. #7 Ask God to help you avoid things and circumstances that trigger your addiction. #8 Ask God to help you to be aware of your limitations. Do not take on too much work or stress because these are quick triggers to relapse. #9 Ask God to help you to always be balanced. Be balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually. Limit your emotional swings and get enough rest. Be consistent with your exercise. Read the Bible every day.
Key point #4 All sin leads to slavery and it may also a trigger your addiction. The reason that this is true is because sin takes us out of God’s light and joy and it puts us in the darkness. Once we slip into the darkness it is natural that the addiction will resurface quickly.
For a Christian God will answer the type of prayers that I have talked about here but even these types of prayers often remain unanswered if we continue to commit habitual sin. When we stay on the straight and narrow (Christian) path we will see these types of prayers answered and we will see real joy start to enter our life.
Have a time and and place for prayer and Bible study every day.
Read John 23, 2nd Corinthians 7 and Provervbs 21
Continue to read the Purpose Driven Life
Pray “Father keep me from temptation”.
If this article has helped you, share it with your friends. Share buttons are below the index.
Thank you for reading day 26 of this program to eliminate gambling from your life
Index
Day one: Quitting addiction exercises
Day two: It is important to admit you are powerless
Day 3: Learn the right way to live
Day 4: Getting rid of negative emotions
Day 5: Remember – money lost is not yours. Don’t try to get it back or you will lose more.
Day 6: can you increase your pleasure by gambling?
Day 7: Staying clean in all ways helps you quit the addiction
Day 8: Decide what pain and pleasure you want
Day 9: Analyze what leads you back to your addiction
Day 10: Change your emotions and your mindsets. Stop believing that your big score will come in.
Day 11: Where the Spirit of the Lord is – there is liberty
Day 12: Learn how to worship God. Also try to develop positive addictions.
Day 13: Write out a letter saying why you want to quit
Day 14: Overcoming cravings and negative emotions
Day 15: You have some self control
Day 16: Have a list of coping statements. Have a list of substitute activities.
Day 17: How to find living water that will always satisfy you
Day 18: Do not have faulty beliefs abourt gambling odds
Day 19: Interview with a professional poker player
Day 20: What we can learn from Adam and Eve’s mistakes
Day 21: more great stuff from Adam and Eve’s mistakes
Day 22: Self control
Day 23: What to think about to develop self control
Day 24: What are your values?
Day 25: How to pray to fight addiction