It does not matter what you are addicted to.
If you are willing to allow God to make a way, and get into his system of recovery, God will make a way! The strength to defeat your addiction will not come from you but from God. But you have to go to him with your weakness and join his program in order to receive his strength. Here are some tips to help you get started in your journey to recovery!
- Admit to yourself, to God, and to another person that you are out of control and this addiction has gotten the best of you. Admit that you are powerless on your own to fix it.
- Ask God for forgiveness for whatever you have done, and claim it. Receive it, and get rid of all condemnation.
- Believe that God can help you, reach out to him, and totally submit yourself to his care, guidance, direction, and strength. Submit to total obedience to whatever he shows you to do.
- Take an ongoing inventory of all that is wrong inside and between you and others, and all that you have done wrong. Confess it to God and to someone else.
- Continually ask God to show you anything that you need to work on; and when he tells you, follow through.
- Go and ask for forgiveness and make amends to all whom you have hurt, except where that might harm the person.
- Seek God deeply, ask him what he wants you to do, ask him for the power to do it, and then follow through in obedience.
- Reach out to others. Call, connect, and attend meetings in your recovery. This is not optional for you! Do not ever underestimate the need to reach out.
- Find out the triggers that get your addictive behavior started, and then when they occur, reach out. That is why some addicts, especially in the beginning, go to multiple meetings every day and have a sponsor whom they can call.
- Discover the hurts and pains that you are trying to medicate, and seek to have them healed. Find out what you are lacking inside and begin to reach out and receive the love and strengthening that you need.
- Do accept the help that others are offering. The old way is to think you have to do this all alone, but the reality is that connection is your new path.
- Find out what relational skills you need to develop in order to make your relationships work. Work on these skills and take risks in order to relate to people better.
- Forgive everyone who has ever hurt you. This doesn’t mean you are letting them off the hook-rather, you are getting off the hook!
- Find your talents and develop them. Pursue your dreams and goals.
- Simplify your life so that it has less stress, and make sure you are recreating and taking care of yourself. Pray and connect with God and ask for peace.
- Study God’s Word and other spiritual writings that will teach you how to apply it. Participate in a Bible Study.
- Stay humble, be honest, and remember that spiritual growth and recovery are for a lifetime, not just for a season.
- If you are addicted to a substance, seek medical help as well. In the beginning, it is possible that you will go through withdrawals or other serious medical conditions. Make sure you are safe.
- See your addiction not as the problem but as a symptom of a life that is not planted and growing in God. Get into recovery as a life overhaul, not just to fix a symptom.
- Always know that God is working, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished“, Philippians 1:6.