Addictions

I am coming to the conclusion that everyone is prone to some form of addiction or another. Some people struggle with the obvious bad ones like alcoholism, the need for drugs, sex, whatever. Other peoples “habits” or “needs” are not perceived as dangerous: chocolate, music, entertainment, video games. However – all of us crave to fill some part of our lives with something external.

This should help us in some of our decision making. Knowing your weakness should guide you away from places where that material is available (like bars for alcoholics) or will affect your walk with God. I knew one guy who very carefully avoided listening to certain music – because it had the potential to drag him back to his pre-conversion behavior. This was good. However, it did take a while for him to accept that for other people who had not lived that life, music of that style could be used to glorify God. That is another discussion.

When we try to break away from these cravings and to change our habits, we struggle. This may be because some of the products mess with the wiring in our brains. I wonder, though, if the start of these cravings is not simply an expression of our desperate need for God to fill our lives.

Therefore, if we were fully satisfied by Him, then there wouldn’t be space for those cravings, right? The trick is doing that. On the one hand, there is nothing we can do to earn/create/invoke that satisfaction; it is entirely a gift of God’s grace. Holding your breath or being nice won’t help. On the other hand, we are required to worship and love God with all of our being and to ask Him nicely for the rest of our needs. He is then likely to delight in filling us with joy – because that is what He designed us for. We worship: He satisfies. Simple. Maybe someone should tell Mick Jagger.

Figuring that out has taken me years, yet it is so clearly stated in scripture and in the old hymns. Duh!