Addictions...

We are doing a new series that started last week and will continue for the next three weeks on the topic of addiction. It's a tough topic, but it's one that's very clearly addressed in Scriptures... specifically with Paul in passages like Galatians 5:17, Colossians 3:5, Romans 8:13, and of course, our text this Sunday, Romans 7:13-20. Scripture is thorough on how this is all to be handled, but it's amazing to me how often we choose to take on the work of trying to rid ourselves of our addictions, thinking we can do it. We fail to seek Him. We fail to allow Jesus to work in our lives, even as Christians! It's interesting to me that as I started preparing for this sermon on Sunday, I had the thought that "I don't really have any addictions, but I hope that I can help our church members or an attender who might have a struggle in this area." My thoughts have now changed to doing a personal inventory check, if you will, to ask myself "What are the addictive traits or areas in my life that I'm trying to control?"

This idea of addictions is not anything new, either. John Owen wrote a book called "Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers" as a Puritan in the 1600's. Addictions are not new, and unfortunately, I think the enemy uses our own addictions, our idols, if you will, to make sure we, as Christians, don't fully worship God like we are supposed to, instead we worship ourselves.

I was shocked yesterday, to be honest, when I read an article on Jennifer Knapp (a Christian singer/song writer, who announced she was gay.) Then, I was pretty quick to ask myself, "Why am I so shocked?" We live in a world that seems to culminate on the "bigger sins." The reality, though, is that they are all the same. For someone who is addicted to nicotine, pornography, a homosexual relationship, gossip, shopping, bad attitudes, stealing, etc. It's all the same in God's eyes! It's clearly not the same in our eyes, I think, because we categorize all our sins into groups of how they will effect others the most. But those aren't the correct categories for us as Christians. There should really only be two categories... one box for all the things that help one grow in Christ, and one box for all the things that hinder our relationship with Christ.

I've struggled with journaling lately. (You've probably seen a statement very similar to this in the past few blogs) My reasoning is really because I don't want to become addicted to doing this. I don't want writing a blog to take up more time in my life than it should. I would rather devote my time to learning more, reading more, learning more (maybe another addiction.) Regardless, it's healthy, I think, to observe all the things we do and ask ourselves if we are spending too much time doing them. Eating? Exercising? Facebooking? They are all good things, in and of themselves, but done too often or without barriers, they can become very dangerous. I have recently tried to step away more and more from any type of entertainment to devote that time to my kids. The result, I feel like I'm addicted to them :-) It's hard, but it's a road of balance that we are called to walk. It's a lifetime of checks and balances in pursuit of a mighty God. It's a road of living out Matthew 16:24, where Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Luke, in 9:23, says one must do this daily! Daily... deny yourself daily. What a challenge for me and for you! If we would only truly live like this, I think others would be able to see the beautiful Savior that lives, through the Spirit, in each of us and we would get ourselves out of the way, acknowledging His work in our short lives.

Blessings,
Frankie