Smoking Freedom: Day 25
Should we condemn ourselves for slipping up again? Should we condemn ourselves for things from our past? Some people condemn themselves for things other people have done to them in the past. We somehow figure out a way to blame ourselves for what they did. We just can’t do that. We have to put the past to bed.
Many of us are still mad about things that happened years ago. We need to forgive the people who hurt us. When we don’t we go back into the anger cycle. First we are offended, then bitter, then resentful, then full blown rage. When we do forgive we regain a proper relationship with God. Mathew 6:14-15 says: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Sometimes we let an emotional problem push us right back to smoking. Instead of using smoking as a crutch when things go bad find something you like to do that you do well, and do it over and over. If you spend your time doing things you’re not good at, it’ll frustrate you and cause you to feel defeated and unsuccessful.
Don’t let the way another person treats you determine your worth.
Keep your flaws in perspective. People with a high level of confidence have just as many weaknesses as people without confidence, but they concentrate on their strengths—not their flaws or weaknesses.”
The next question is, should you condemn yourself for going back to your addiction? The answer is no. But the best way to regain your joy is to develop a better plan to quit your addiction. The most important step to doing that is to get on the same page God is on. He wants you to quit your addiction so that you can be healthy and fulfill your God given purpose.
Now you must create a plan and do it. Don’t let laziness or lack of organization stop you. Be a fanatic about following a plan to quit your addiction.
Also plan for life’s disasters. Don’t let money issues or people issues drag you back into smoking.
Lastly pray more. Pray the prayer of Jabez which is 1 Chronicles 4:10 (KJV)
“10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
Remember, that we start to be under God’s blessing when we start to obey the Bible.
Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
This is a great prayer to pray every day. There is also a great book called the Prayer of Jabez which I highly recommend.
Quitting an addiction is a lot like becoming a track star. To become a track star you must deny yourself certain things (fatty foods, extra rest etc). But just as important you must work at doing things (running, lifting weights and eating extra protein).
People who become track stars live their life like they are surrounded by a hard plastic bubble. They refuse to give any opening to excess foods like sugars, fats etc. They give no opening to the party lifestyle. They hang around with people dedicated to training not people who have a wild lifestyle. They read about and watch people who are successful in athletics. They think about how to train better, how to run more effectively, how to strategize a smarter race. They have a 100% focus on what they want to accomplish.
People who want to become track stars (but fail) do not take care of their bubble. They may train hard but their sexual lust opens a hole in their bubble. Or their pride opens a hole in their bubble and they don’t listen to their coach. Or they think more about other things and lose their focus on training. This opens up a big hole because they start to not even care about winning any more.
Other people pop their bubble right from the start because they don’t train consistently. They will run but not lift weights. Run and lift but consistently overeat. Work hard but do the opposite of what their coach wants because they insist on doing it their way.
When we repent of our addiction before Jesus Christ we are sealed in the bubble by His blood. But we carve openings in our protection through sins, habits, grey area’s, bad friends, looking at the wrong things, thinking about the wrong things etc. I can’t list the million ways you carve a hole in your protection. But it is vital that you list and understand the main things you do which ruin your protective shield.
It is just as vital that you list and understand the things that you are not doing which cause the bubble to burst. Maybe you are willing to read the Bible but you are going to think your way not God’s way. You are willing to pray but only pray that God will solve your problems not change you. You are willing to help others, but you are going to keep Christianity on the down low. You are not sure they will be all that accepting of that. You are going to work at quitting that addiction but you only put aside a few minutes a day to work on that. You have more important things to do.
Remember, when your bubble has openings in it – dark forces will slip in and cause confusion and temptation. The solution is rapid repentance and taking care that your shield is solid without any openings for the enemy to come in through. The permanent solution is to treat your quest to overcome addiction just as seriously as the track star takes winning. They allow nothing to come into their lives that will derail their training. They always do everything they need to do to prepare for the race.
Take 5 minutes to analyze what causes openings in your protection.
Read John 22, 2nd Corinthians 6 and Psalms 1
Continue to read the Purpose Driven Life.
Fulfill your purpose – do something to help. Pray “Father, bring people to this website and give them a chance to overcome addiction, find your love, start to find their purpose and to start to find joy again.”