LETTING GO
LETTING GO
The root of all addiction is temptation. Temptation is the desire for thoughts, activities, attitudes images and objects that do not belong to us; things disciples of Jesus we should not own. Temptations may seem small and trivial, but when we start to give ourselves license to participate in their fulfillment, addiction creeps in. We become slaves to our pursuit of pleasure. We let our lust becom god.
Listen to these words from the ancient writer Thomas a Kempis ("Imitation of Christ"): "The beginning if all evil temptations in an unstable mind and a small trust in God. Just as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waters, so a person who lacks resolution and certainty is tossed about by temptations. Temptation reveals or instability and our lack of trust in God; temptations reveal who we are. This is why we must pay attention to them."
The corrupt desires that reside within the human heart reveal the very character of that heart. We must be extremely aware of how much of who we are is wrapped up in our addictions and habits. The goal of this message series that Troy is giving is to help people let go; to surrender and release their chains to a God who loves more deeply than the hurt. However, be warned, when you let go of something that has held mastery over you for any length of time, you will be losing a piece of who you were, a portion of your way of life. Do not let this dissuade you from finding freedom, but beware, you will feel like a piece of your heart is missing. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial that you don't stop at letting go. You must also embrace something new. Replace the old with New life. God desires to fill your heart, to give you the joy and peace and sweetness of life that your addictions could never fill. Let Him! Make every effort to fill your mind and heart with His presence. Do not wait until you are faced with temptation again to start inviting Him into your struggle, but even when you feel that you are doing well, invite Christ into the very core of who your are. Memorize scripture (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 is a good place to start), recall it to mind while you are going to sleep at night or when you are waiting in line at the store. Talk about God with other believers every chance you get. Fast, pray, meditate, celebrate your victories. Whatever you do, stay very close to your God. He will fill every empty space within you.
What are some other experiences with overcoming addiction/temptations that you have had? What other exercises or habits have you tried to replace them?
One last thing: No matter who you are or what you've done, there is Hope. You are deeply loved. There is always Hope.
The root of all addiction is temptation. Temptation is the desire for thoughts, activities, attitudes images and objects that do not belong to us; things disciples of Jesus we should not own. Temptations may seem small and trivial, but when we start to give ourselves license to participate in their fulfillment, addiction creeps in. We become slaves to our pursuit of pleasure. We let our lust becom god.
Listen to these words from the ancient writer Thomas a Kempis ("Imitation of Christ"): "The beginning if all evil temptations in an unstable mind and a small trust in God. Just as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waters, so a person who lacks resolution and certainty is tossed about by temptations. Temptation reveals or instability and our lack of trust in God; temptations reveal who we are. This is why we must pay attention to them."
The corrupt desires that reside within the human heart reveal the very character of that heart. We must be extremely aware of how much of who we are is wrapped up in our addictions and habits. The goal of this message series that Troy is giving is to help people let go; to surrender and release their chains to a God who loves more deeply than the hurt. However, be warned, when you let go of something that has held mastery over you for any length of time, you will be losing a piece of who you were, a portion of your way of life. Do not let this dissuade you from finding freedom, but beware, you will feel like a piece of your heart is missing. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial that you don't stop at letting go. You must also embrace something new. Replace the old with New life. God desires to fill your heart, to give you the joy and peace and sweetness of life that your addictions could never fill. Let Him! Make every effort to fill your mind and heart with His presence. Do not wait until you are faced with temptation again to start inviting Him into your struggle, but even when you feel that you are doing well, invite Christ into the very core of who your are. Memorize scripture (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 is a good place to start), recall it to mind while you are going to sleep at night or when you are waiting in line at the store. Talk about God with other believers every chance you get. Fast, pray, meditate, celebrate your victories. Whatever you do, stay very close to your God. He will fill every empty space within you.
What are some other experiences with overcoming addiction/temptations that you have had? What other exercises or habits have you tried to replace them?
One last thing: No matter who you are or what you've done, there is Hope. You are deeply loved. There is always Hope.
posted by Journey Church at 3:09 p.m.
3 Comments:
Excellent! Very applicable subject for everyone, especially yours truly! One thing I would suggest to help the "letting go" process is to find someone who truly loves and cares for you as a support. Sometimes, you may find out who your real friends are through this process, but it is still worth the price if you can truly rid yourself of an addiction or lifestyle that hinders your faith and relationship with Christ. (No matter how dis-heartening that process can be at times).
Good job Troy.....and the ever-so-talented authour of this blog! Keep up the good work, we will have to visit soon, despite the long morning commute from way up north. (Although we have truly been enjoying BVCC too)!
Cheers!
Well, that was an amazing Sermon Troy. You presented a difficult topic with sensitivity, ease AND flair! Yes, I have struggled with addiction. I love gambling. I loved it so much that it was no longer a game and I HAD to win. I had to win back what I lost. When I won, I wanted to win again to feel that rush. I tried to set limits on my spending. “OK, this time I promise I’ll only take out x number of dollars.” Each time x number of dollars was exceeded. I promised myself that would never happen. Often times I would reach the maximum withdrawal on my debit card. There were a couple of times that I took a cash advance on my credit card. I promised myself that would never happen. I gambled with money that I didn’t even have. I took money from my line of credit. I promised myself that would never happen. I am addicted to gambling. I promised myself that would never happen – but it did! What I thought was a ‘fun recreational activity’ turned into a destructive habit. I never expected to have a ‘problem’ with gambling’. God spoke to me on many occasions, and time after time I chose to ignore Him. It wasn’t until I went through Choices (www.choicesintl.com) in July that I truly recognized that I had a problem. I was challenged to have more of what worked in my life and less of what didn’t. I was also told that I cannot heal or change what I do not acknowledge. That day, I made the commitment to quit gambling. I have tried quitting in the past. I made it more than six months without gambling a couple of times. I never really took it seriously though. I am now very serious about changing my life. I haven’t gambled since June 2, 2006 and will not gamble again. I have a large challenge ahead in the next month. We are taking a corporate management trip to Las Vegas. There is much to do in Vegas without touching the slots. I plan to go shopping, take in some people watching and enjoy time off work with my husband! I am so thankful for people like Thelma Box (Choices Facilitator) who do God’s work here on earth! And, of course I am forever thankful for Him and His amazing grace! Oh, and some things I like to do to occupy my time now that I’m not gambling are reading and baking. I love making treats for other people. It’s productive, it occupies my time and I love to bless others with treats ; )
Thank you Annemarie for blessing us with the delicious shortbread cookies on Sunday. It was great to meet you. God has truly blessed you with a friendly, outgoing personality. You are like a ray of sunshine. Thank you for brightening my day on Sunday. I will be praying for you when you make your trip to Vegas.
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