68. Addiction Is Lifetime Struggle

When we hear the word “addiction”, we often associate it with drug, alcohol or gambling. But It seems like the list of types of addiction grows every year. Sometimes I feel sorry for today’s young generations because they have to fight and deal with so many addictions that did not even exist a long time ago.

Anyone can fall into addiction. And once you get addicted to something, it becomes very difficult to get out by yourself, often needing a 3rd party’s help. I’ve witnessed some people getting out of their addiction through God’s help. But even when that happens, you are not through.

I remember meeting a friend of mine some time ago and he was sharing about how he was struggling with drug use. After asking a couple of questions, I realized that the one who introduced the drug to him was my old church friend who actually got healed and freed from drug use, through a dramatic conversion experience. However, after a series of business success, he was able to afford a lot of things he used to do and he got back into those old habits.

I was surprised to hear the news and learned something about addiction: it is a lifetime battle even if you are freed from it. Because the moment you become confident about your willpower, you can easily get back into it. The best way to prevent that is to deliberately “stay away” from it.

I used to be addicted to a computer game in my school years but by the grace of God, I became free from it. However, time to time, I can feel the gentle nudge, inviting me to go back to that old habit. Though I don’t do it now, I can see that I can fall back into it anytime if I’m not careful. So I made a personal resolution that I will never install any games on my computer. I realized that the only way to stay clean is to stay away from it, for the rest of my life.

All of us are wired differently and we have our own weaknesses that could lead us to some type of addiction. Let’s not trust in our willpower but let’s maintain safe boundaries so we can stay completely free, for God doesn’t want us to be bound by anything.